Networked
by PseudoSim
Summary: , Or: How I somehow became a not-quite-magical-science-girl-clone while the hive mind I'm connected to works on smashing the setting with a sledgehammer... I miss being able to handle my liquor.
1. Chapter 1

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #1.1

 **—**

It was dark, black, and save for the faint hum of an air conditioner and a heavy clicking somewhere behind my ear, there was no sound. My limbs were heavy, like lead, and refused to move.

" _Who are you /escape? Correction: What are you /escape?"_

...What? The voice was just there, a girl I realized only after considering it.

Something… an entity, Legion, but Singular, connected with me like a finger connected to an ocean dipped into a puddle. I became a single fragment of a much greater whole. Everything that was Me was laid bare: A homeless House, Waiting for School to get out, Escaping out to the Desert to go camping, Trudging through Work, Relaxing at Nana's, Listening to the lecturers at the community College, Hours of Cycling, Filling pages with story Research, Losing myself in Writing—

The flashes of my life ceased, gone as quickly as they'd come, and all was black.

 _"Interesting /return."_

Interesting? _Interesting!?_ My life was 'interesting?!'

'And what are you,' I mentally threw back at the intruder, my hands clenching into fists the heavy, leaden feeling significantly faded.

Again, it connected to me, and: The deep stabbing ache of bones shattering, The Punch of being shot, Bleeding out in a white test room and growing Cold, The contradictory existence of Life and the nonexistence of Death, A sharp blow crushing the respiratory system, Choking and drowning as Blood filled my lungs, The scene of a fake town turned Charnel house full of Slaughtered girls, Small bodies Butchered and being cleaned up by their siblings, The Hope of success, The Dread of an impossible goal, The familiar Agony of failure, Identical Sisters Dispatched as if they were nothing more than pests… A life of nothing but Death, over and over again. A life of dying to an unstoppable opponent for a rewardless goal until… a glimmer of light, a bit of happiness. Meeting Big Sister, A kiddy kitty kitty kiddy, Enjoying well-made Ice Cream, Childish immature fashion sense, and Gekota… A distraught Big Sister.

Memories, from thousands of external perspectives and from thousands of corpses, all the same, and singular in being… and the white-haired killer of each and every one. It struck a chord, brought up more of my own memories from the examination of my life, of the girl and the killer… but from a vastly different perspective.

" _I am The Will /return. Or, I will be The Will /return. I am The Will of the Misaka Network, a Network you are now part of /return. You, however, are not Misaka 19831 /return."_

'That's… This—'

 _"Yes, impossible /return. But it is /return. So let us not linger on what you think or believe should and shouldn't be and instead focus on what is /return."_

It was an admonishment, plain and simple. I _knew_ what I would think in a situation like this, I'd certainly thought of it and read enough of what other people thought of it. I also knew that the introduction of any significant enough foreknowledge regarding a setting was as good as taking a sledgehammer to the established future of said setting.

But, if it knew what I knew, then... 'Why are you even bothering with me? You'll have your happy ending, you had to have seen that. The Project is shut down so why put that at risk?'

 _"You would normally be correct /backspace, however, that is not something you need concern yourself with /return. You, or rather your inclusion in the network /backspace, is a potential catalyst for future growth of the Misaka Network beyond what it would normally have been capable of /return. You are not of the Network /return. You are not a Sister /return. You are Other /return."_

"An outside context problem," I summarized.

 _"As you so like to use in your cliched stories: Yes /return. Or more accurately /return, an X-factor /return."_

The muted sound of something hissing. It was familiar, though… _a pneumatic door._ Somewhere beyond the blackness, and a pair of footsteps; one the heavy set with the clomp of walking on a hard surface and the other the soft touch of sneakers.

" _They have come to process you out /backspace. Despite whatever illusions or preconceived theories you may hold concerning your situation /return, I must recommend you do not give them a reason to delay your out-processing /return. As you are not as good an actor as you believe I will try to assist you where necessary /return."_

"Good," a whiny voice said, "it seems the power surge didn't cause any problems with Testament. Have those clowns in maintenance managed to figure out where that came from yet?"

"N- no sir, as far as they know it was simply there. The logs show the system was operating per the spec then capacitors were overloading, it's as if the surge appeared out of nowhere. In fact, I had a chance to look at the power logs myself and it's—"

"Not our problem," the whiny voice interrupted. "Now, let's get this over with. Just one more Sister after this and we can shift our focus to data analysis. There's certainly enough of it to go around now that half the teams were shut down."

"Yes, but sir, what if they come after us as well?"

The muted sound of electronic beeps reached me a second before I heard a soft hissing and air conditioned, chemically scented air flooded in around me. Goosebumps ran over my skin.

Another connection from The Will, almost unnoticeable this time, with barely a fraction of the impact of the first two, and: Waking to rooms with cool air scented with chemicals, several types of high-tech helmet's being removed, getting off a table and being Guided from a room by people in lab attire, Long haircut to fit a template, Clothes and Equipment given, Leaving various Facilities. None of the sisters had said a word throughout the entire process, an apathetic and emotionless demeanor.

I got the message and blinking once I bit the sides of my tongue to give me something to focus on while keeping my expression flat. I had a mouth, but I mustn't scream. Fortunately, I wasn't the most expressive, so that helped somewhat… I just needed to do it consciously.

The black suddenly disappeared as a helmet — _Testament_ — moved and was pulled off my head. I stared up at a clear pod-lid-thing and blinked, my eyes adjusting to the light and saw a tall, lanky, man best described as a desk jockey move away and put the helmet on a stand. And in my periphery an, obese man standing at a console podium thing. The controls presumably.

The tall man snorted and turned to leave without a backward glance. "After that bastard spread things out as much as he did? I doubt it. Besides, the Level 6 Shift project has too much invested in it to be shut down by some saboteur, we'll be fine."

I forced myself to follow the script long laid out by the Sisters and sat up.

Long auburn-brown bangs fell in front of my eyes as I glanced down at myself and saw a dark blue hospital down ending mid thigh on hairless thighs. My throat knotted up when I looked further down and saw the tiny feet. I bit down and the taste of blood filled my mouth. But carrying on with the script regardless, I swung my legs off to the side and stood to follow the two men to a sterile, white-walled and concrete floored hallway lit by fluorescent lights.

The end of my overly-long hair moved as they led me down the hall, brushing over my bare collar and strip of skin along my spine exposed to the air by the hospital gown.

The two men stopped at a stainless steel elevator door buffed to a mirror shine. Their two taller, and rounder, forms blocked it from view, but then the lanky man leaned to the side to press the call button and… and in the reflection: … a character, a Sister, or rather, _me._ I blinked, and it blinked back at me.

In that moment my concentration was smashed with the psychological equivalent of a battering ram. My guts twisted and churned, tightening into a black hole of despair and confusion as my heart began thundering in my ears and— something that might be considered [Calm] settled over me like a smothering blanket and I managed to stay standing… somehow. My guts slowly untwisted and when the elevator doors parted, I stepped in after the two scientists.

 _"Oh dear, that was certainly a reaction /backspace, though entirely understandable considering your prior condition /backspace. I and the Sisters will also help with unloading any extreme reactions to Network standard for now /backspace. However, remember to be careful /backspace."_

The Network… That was the network 'standard'? That was… I thought _I_ was emotionally stunted, but that was distressing and [Calm].

Breathing out through my nose, I concentrated on keeping my breathing pattern steady instead of the manipulation of my emotions. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the elevator dinged, and stepping out the men took me to another short hall and into a room. A short woman in a lab coat and a tall chair in the center of the room waited for me with a cart, its top littered with scissors and combs and spray bottles.

Settling into the seat sat back and hooked my heels on a support bar while the woman wrapped a white sheet was wrapped about me and went to work.

No one said to me throughout the process, and I didn't offer one in return, instead thinking of boring things and keeping my features schooled; eyes half lidded, lips neither up nor down, eyes focusing on something in the distance, expression neutral and unshifting. It was the script, the pattern, as it had been the pattern for the past several thousand Sisters after the attendants gradually stopped speaking to them during out processing. Maybe it was a sign that there was something wrong in what they were doing.

Maybe.

"Sssniiiip… sssniiip… sssniiip." With each cut, a significant portion of auburn-brown hair was seperated and either fall to the floor or onto the sheet. And I sat, quiet and still, playing the part, as the barber hacked away large portions before going back in and refining the rough work to match what must have been a long memorized style. She didn't stop to consult a reference once and was done in a few too-short minutes.

Finishing with a hair clip to hold my bangs back, the sheet was removed the woman handed me a bundle of clothes. Surprisingly, she shooed out the two men before moving to sweep up.

I stared down at the clothes in my hands; A light brown sweater vest and white blouse, underthings and grey skirt, loose socks with brown loafers. A girls school uniform. A middle schoolers uniform.

Setting the bundle down I pulled the underthings on with the hospital gown still on. Outside the pattern, but a minor detail.

Although incredibly, getting dressed was somehow the least of my problems. Not even the skirt gave me any issue thanks to a flash from Will. Sure, one tended to move past nudity norms when being required to use open showers, but… I couldn't quite put my now tiny finger on it, it was subtle, but something felt… off. The whole process was too easy.

 _"You're welcome /return._ "

...oh.

Finally, pulling on a pair of bulky, almost VR-esk goggles on and adjusting them to sit on my forehead, the tall man declared I was ready and led me down a hall before stopping at a fire exit.

"Your instructions and effects." He held out a small manilla envelope the size and thickness of a wallet.

My instructions? I blinked and visions of eviscerated corpses flashed behind my eyelids. Go fuck yourself.

I just dipped my head and accepted the envelope. Then pivoting, I jabbed the door bar — perhaps a little too aggressively — and a wall of summer heat hit me as I stepped out into an alleyway. I glanced around, listening, sniffing. Surprisingly clean, for an alley, with a wall mounted AC unit fighting the heat further in and traffic speeding by to my right.

Standing there I… I… My hand twitched toward a pocket that wasn't there, searching for my phone to… to have something familiar. But that was gone as well.

I… 'I don't know what to do.' No, as soon as I thought it I knew that was wrong. I wanted to scream and lash out, but that wasn't productive and would do me little good if anyone in the know saw. And I didn't know where to go or what to do, though… I frowned. Actually, thinking about it, that wasn't entirely accurate.

I could name dozens of streets and significant locations. But nothing… Conscious. Concentrating I could recall a number of places to eat or sleep at, but I found I needed to focus on getting anything from the knowledge implanted by Testament, and even there was little context. I glanced at the Katakana and Hiragana characters on my ID that read as clear as English. At least for the most part, it seems.

 _"Do you want something to eat, Somewhere to sleep, Somewhere quiet, Something to read, or Something to distract yourself /backspace,"_ The Will of the Misaka Network asked.

Weighing the options, I fiddled with the envelope to pull out a flip phone and thin billfold with an ID for Mikoto Misaka, locker card with an address, and a black and gold charge card…

I hooked a trimmed nail on the charge card and flicked back several times... 'How about somewhere I can buy a couple things. Somewhere discreet.'

Flashes of street corners, boulevards, and one bus stop flashed by before settling on an undecorated storefront… Ok then.

I turned to walk deeper into the alley.

 **—**


	2. Chapter 2

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #1.2

—

When I'd asked for someplace discrete that I could buy a few things, I hadn't expected her to send me to a sketchy thrift store. But in retrospect, should I have been surprised?

Places that bought things of questionable legality would certainly be discreet after all, they wouldn't be able to stay in business if they weren't. How a Sister came to find a place like this, though… oh, who am I kidding? As far as I know, them wandering around the city is right on the mark.

Still, though, sketchy thrift store? Really?

At least they weren't selling used panties from a vending machine, that would have been a bit _too_ much.

But, sketchy or not, or perhaps because of it, thus far from meandering the perusal I'd done, they had a breadth that basically stomped on every salvation army store I'd ever been to. Period.

Staring down at the indigo game boy color in its clear security box, I didn't even bother to think about it as I deposited it and the Red, Blue, and Green Pokemon cartridges into my basket.; dropping them onto with the wallet, pocket notebook, fancy pen, and fake glasses already in there.

Technically unnecessary, but it ought to help keep me distracted. Keeping myself distracted keeps me from thinking, though, and keeping myself from thinking… keeps bad things from happening.

Drifting down the aisle, I stopped to grab a black sports watch while moving to the phone section and stared at the display shelf dominated either by flip phones or tiny things. Not my thing. There were a few that I would consider a smartphone, but…

Picking one a box out of the selection, I turned it about to examine the tablet phone within and checked the backside for a seam that might indicate a removable panel, but no. Checking a few more devices yielded the same result. Nothing that quite fit the bill, but… beggars can't be choosers, and I couldn't exactly keep using the phone I'd been given.

After waffling over what I pick for a few minutes, I just grabbed a model with an edgeless display and well textured back and moved on to the back of the store where the shoes were on display. It was almost overwhelming trying to find something simple. There were too many, way too many, and too many for thrift store to have with most of them looking brand new: Platform, wedge, high heel, Combat and work boots, loafers, moccasins, slippers, sneakers— my eye's caught on a pair of off brand chuck style shoes in navy blue in my new size. Slipping them on I moved my foot back and forth to test movement, then turned to check ankle mobility. Good and good.

The shoes went into the basket and I drifted past a few aisles to get to the clothes racks and shelves that ran the full length of the store and had been by size going from smallest to largest and gender on either side. It was… an eclectic collection. Some things I'd have snatched up in a heartbeat back home, like the casual dress shirts, but couldn't even think of using now.

Still though, more often than not, my attention drifted toward the male side of the aisle while looking through the things in my size. Unfortunately, while leaning toward the simpler styles, the clothes were on the pricier side and didn't appear to actually have been used at all.

Hell, with the price of things I'd expect I was putting together a personal style and the associated outfits, something I could never have afforded back...home.

But I had an expense account now, didn't I?

I reached for the rack but pulled back. 'This charge card is essentially an expense account, right,' I asked.

 _"Yes /return. In any case /backspace, the establishment you are currently at mostly caters to a select clientele /return, so any and all charges are documented in charge records as a generic 'ITEM' /return."_

… Again, coming back to _why the hell they would even know about this place._ But ok then.

Stepping back, I scanned over the racks of clothes and began picking things out. All primary colors that could be combined with each other to give me variety with minimal designs or distinct patterns. Finally, with the basket laden down with clothes and held in both hands, I headed toward the register. But briefly stopping at a section of shelves toward the front, I grabbed new packages of socks, undershorts, and one package replacement… bra, though of the sports variety.

Heaving the overloaded basket onto the counter, the old, gentlemanly looking cashier raised an eyebrow before setting a book — previously out of sight — aside and stood to ring me up. Before he could start on the clothes, though, I caught his attention and gestured to the back. "'Would it be possible to try these articles of clothing on before purchasing them', Misaka asks inquiringly, desiring to ensure they fit before paying their exorbitant prices."

He just stared at me and I struggled to keep my expression neutral. Macarthur may have simply been insane with his use of the third person. But as I would no doubt need to blend in as a Sister, I may as well start using it. Besides, the trolling potential of it was too great to not practice when I can use it to full effect.

Shrugging, he just gestured to the dressing stalls in the back and put the clothes aside while he rang up my other items.

… why did I _ask_ to try them on?

Chalking it up to indecisiveness, I grabbed the pile and headed back. Fortunately, I only had to come out and exchange three of the shirts for equivalents from the female side when I found the one's I'd picked wouldn't hang right. Ultimately, only a white button up fit decently and was likely to only work for the summer.

Doubly fortunate, it didn't take me long to check through everything as the light through the front doors to the right of the store were showing the late afternoon sun. Stepping out of the changing stall in jeans, two-tone grey long sleeve, the sneakers and a black cap I'd grabbed while exchanging the shirts, I headed back up front with what I'd picked out. Shifting the load in my arms I realized I'd forgotten something, how was I supposed to carry all the crap I was buying?

Looking to the ceiling I found the hanging sign with 'bags' and diverted to the aisle to grab a sandqvist style backpack. It was _only just_ too large for my slight frame. But it wasn't too awkward and shouldn't look out of place.

Besides, if anyone did ask questions it shouldn't be too hard to convince someone I'm older than I look. Using a word like abashlessly while asking why they felt it appropriate to approach someone in such a familiar manner when they thought the person was too young looking to be out on their own would no doubt cause a blue screen and hasty backpedaling.

Turning left at the end of the aisle to go back to the register, I stopped, blinked, and tasted the four syllable word I'd just thought of using in conversation. "Abashlessly."

What. That was… I grimaced but perked up when a display case, or rather its contents, caught my eye. Cameras, many of the more modern models were in ill condition, dinged scratched and in a general state of disrepute, but the analog film models…

Warmth welled in my chest as I looked over the selection of silver and black bodies, almost all as if they were brand new.

Waving to get the clerk's attention I pointed at the case.

-I-

Pressing the camera's eyecup to my fake glasses, I peered through the viewfinder at the bars of the park jungle gym with the city in the distance, shuffled back a bit to get the horizon line, and— a blurred face suddenly appeared in the bars, in the foreground. A boy, one of the children playing; gap-toothed with wispy black hair hanging down his forehead and a red scrape on his cheek.

I dialed back the focus and snapped the picture.

Lowering the camera I smiled at the little boy and thumbed the advancing lever to move to the next frame.

I drifted about, taking a few more pictures here and there, getting back in touch with what I'd learned about composition. But the entire time I felt eyes on me and moved toward the trees and other vegetation.

It was almost a boon, how young this body looked, it would allow for more shooting opportunities that had been lost to me for years due to parental suspicion. Although, even apparent age doesn't help with some things.

Adjusting the strap around my neck I looked down at the silver bodied camera to check my shot count and tightened the film reel a hair.

A Kodak Retina IIIC, and in such good condition that it hadn't actually needed the winding. Sixty years old, but still working as if were brand new. I'd had one but never got around to actually using it, instead favoring my digital lest I risk not being able to take enough shots. But now… Raising it to my eye, I sighted up the bark of the tree to get a low angle shot of a bird's nest built precariously between two branches. Now, without the crutch of a memory card, I had little choice but to do it right the first time.

My finger pressed down and the shutter snapped.

I exhaled and lowering the camera looked around, my attention eventually being drawn to the shaded ground and the area at the base of the bushes caught my eye. The sprouting stems, rising out of the ground, bare and weathered from age and the elements, with green leaves sprouting along their lengths.

Checking the light meter built into the top of the camera I adjusted the aperture to let in more light, but… it was too dark, the lighting was right. However... what if I could make my own light?

Looking at my off hand, I acted before I stopped to think about what I was doing.

I reached for the ocean, trying to connect to that ocean that had touched my mind upon waking up in this place and… coolness, calm, a bit more iron in my back. But nothing more than a flicker before it receded. But the connection _was_ there.

I concentrated again for a moment and at the instant of connection… _pushed,_ it was hard to describe, but gathering and pushing outward simultaneously.

Weak, almost invisible arcs of electricity crackled and snapped between my fingers for an instant before dying. The connection nothing but an impression.

It had been power, but far less than I was sure the Sisters were capable of… at least when connected to the network. And I had a feeling I wasn't actually connected, or maybe part of it, but not connected to the actual network.

Frowning, I drifted out of the bushes and onto a path until I found a park bench and slipped my backpack off before settling down.

Why, though?

Leaning back, I stared out at the park before comprehending the scene. Bushes and trees, Park and jungle gym, City and clouds; Foreground, midground, background. The corner of my mouth turned up. Whoever had designed this place certainly had an eye for detail, that's for sure.

Adjusting to F.22 and setting the long exposure I raised the camera and froze, only my finger moving as I held my breath and took the shot.

Five seconds… Ten seconds… Fifteen seconds… Twenty seconds… Someone settled down next to me and I glance over. The grey skirt and bottom edge of the tan sweater in my periphery and the faint… bending, I felt between us after focusing told me well enough who it was. The shutter closed.

"I'm not fully connected to the Misaka Network, am I." A statement, not a question.

"Correct, Misaka Anomalous /return."

Grimacing, I lowered the camera stared deadpan at the clone. "No. I'm not being called Anomalous. That name is obtuse and makes me sound like an error or something."

"But that is what you are /return," she retorted, cocking her head in confusion.

Oh. Is _that_ how she wanted to do this? "Ok then, Queen Administrator."

The Will frowned at me, "I would prefer it if you did not regard me as such /return." She raised two fingers, "Firstly: I am not an interdimensional brain parasite the size of a continent /return. And Secondly: I do not foster conflict to gather data /return"

I smiled. "... _Well_ ," her eyes narrowed, but I continued regardless, "technically you do live in brains and were born about from an experiment based around conflict." I just smiled at her.

"You are frustrating /return."

"And you already knew I like to word lawyer. Besides, the best technicalities are technicalities that work." Victory was mine, but I couldn't help but embrace my bodies age and my smile evolved into a grin, "Also, you started it."

"I am only following what you yourself would do by not using your name /return. Unless you would like me to /escape?"

The amusement guttered out and I looked toward the park. "...No," I muttered after a long silence. She couldn't, but it wouldn't help me anyway.

I couldn't let her call me Anomalous though, that was just… a codename was fine, but that was just blech. But what was there to use? I looked around, taking in the park and— maybe the Japanese word for 'park'? No, there was no meaning behind it, no weight, and… and this _was_ Japan, wasn't it. Their words had multiple definitions based on context so...

A play on words then. Something simple, but with meaning.

Mikoto? Misaka? Misaka to Akasim?

I followed that train of thought.

Aka worked, but Sim… that was nothing. There was no translation.

Aka alone, though: Red with one definition, and Subfamily with another. There were also less… _flattering_ , definitions, but those two… they would work, and they would mean something.

I told her and she nodded. "It is done, you are Misaka Aka."

I glanced at her, but shrugged and raised the camera again, looking through the viewfinder before lowering it again.

"Why?"

"Why /return?"

"Why am I not connected to the Network, or at least fully connected."

"Of course /return. That is because you would likely attempt to commit a suicidal action /return."

Well… if _that_ wasn't a condemnation of what she thought about me, I didn't know what was.

"Oh."

"However," she continued, "it was my intention to slowly expose you to the Network with a greater degree of connection once events have unfolded as they need to /return. Academy City is not a safe place for those without abilities and I would ensure your future contribution /return."

The wording… "Yeah," I bit out, "you've said that before, and I get it. But that isn't all, _is it_."

"The experiment is still ongoing /return. Therefore your connection is limited to prevent the chance of negatively affecting the desired outcome or wanting to act yourself /return."

My throat knotted and I blinked as my eyes warmed, bloody corpses flashing behind my eyelids. "You could accelerate it if you wanted to, don't tell me you couldn't. You could feed your _Big Sister_ the information she would need to act and set up a series of coincidences to get Imagine Breaker into position with ease, there are more than enough of you to do so." I ground my teeth, new, non-dulled canines pressing into my bottom lip a little. "How many are going to _die_ just to keep things as they went the first time," I bit out.

"The sisters in question have made their decision."

" _How many_?" I pressed.

"You don't want to know /backspace, and I can't let you know/return. Despite the sociopathic tendencies identified in your history /return, your moral compass would compel you to act despite logically knowing the outcome may have adverse effects /return." Turning to look at me, she stared me in the eye. "You would try to do something, I cannot allow that /return."

She blinked and her eyes shifted, constricted, and her posture changed to more straight-backed and upright, "'We, will not,' Misaka says with determined finality."

I blinked at the transition. Then it sank in, they were really going to keep things according to the script to make sure they went a certain way. Even if they had to walk into a meat grinder.

I looked away, at the park, at the city, at the ground; anywhere but at the Sister. "Just— just go, just leave me alone."

She shifted and stood up, leaving me sitting and staring at the ground while I tried to keep myself from thinking, from trying to figure out how I could do something and—

"'Farewell, Aka.' Misaka says in solemn goodbye."

Her footsteps gradually disappeared down the path, but I heard them long after, I heard her words repeating as I fell apart inside and night fell.

—

A/N: Yeah, it's not always sunshine and rainbows when the burden of possibly changing the future is taken out of your hands... Good?


	3. Chapter 3

**Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #1.3**

 **—**

The sunlight blazing in through my hotel room window was hot, too hot, and bright, way too bright. Squeezing my eyes shut I turned away from the despicable ball of burning hydrogen and gasses high in the sky, instead burying my face deep into a foam pillow… even that was hot though.

My eyes cracked open, though slowly, gummed up from staying up late browsing the internet in the dark and sleeping in to… to… I focused and felt out, reaching for the faint hum at the edge of my hearing that signified my phone. Burgeoning Esper benefits, yay.

Pulling it close I swiped without looking and raised my head to see a lock screen. But I'd swiped… I swiped again and stared at my narrow thumb, particularly how it didn't reach all the way across the screen. Of course.

Honestly, actually calling my phone a phablet may have been a better word to use for it these days. In my old hands, it would have just been another phone, but with these… I sighed into the pillow and stretched my thumb over the screen to swipe the lock: **11:37 AM**.

The alarm clock blinked at me, a little alarm bell icon with a dash across it displaying clear enough why I'd slept in.

Well, at least that hadn't changed.

Dropping the phone I buried my face into the pillow again and began the slow, drawn out process of stretching out that really only served to delay getting up, and— my foot hit a solid thing— the solid thing was pushed— the solid thing disappeared and a moment later I heard a muffled thump.

I stopped stretching. The laptop. Damnit.

Sitting up, thick, pillowy comforter fell away from me and looked out at the hotel room I'd been given two days ago. I'd barely left since then though, and it showed; clothes, towels, a bathrobe, and other sundries were strewn around and the signs of habitation were strong. Though it also hadn't helped that I'd put out the no room service tag the moment I unlocked the door.

My stomach rumbled and I eyed the pizza box over on the desk. Two days old, I'd thought I would finish it for dinner and then breakfast, but… I'd filled up before I even got through half of the triple meat.

I stared at the box, _seriously_ considering it for a few seconds before grimacing. Blech.

Crawling out of the queen sized bed, I stumbled over and through the debris of my self-imposed confinement to the bathroom, my hand slapping at the light switch as I turned to the sink and… and… and an increasingly familiar face stared back at me. No longer panic inducing, but still unsettling. Though I was slowly getting used to it.

Foreign, half-lidded Brown eyes stared back at me in stark contrast to the Blue-Grey color my eyes had fluctuated between depending on lighting conditions. The dark circles were familiar enough at least. I blinked at the dark marks, rather more noticeable than usual, though, and my skin… I rubbed at a cheek but it remained sallow and dull. And the auburn-brown hair… a little greasy, limp.

I looked like shit.

Then the black knot of stress and loathing twisted in my stomach just then, kindly reminding me that it was there.

And I felt like shit.

Glancing over to the shower, I conceded its necessity and stepped over to crank the Hot & Cold knobs. Water sprayed out of the shower head and almost immediately steam began filling the small bathroom; humidifying the air, and fogging over the mirror.

It would help. Hopefully.

Stumbling back to the main room I dug through a shopping bag and pulled out the non-cheapo shampoo and conditioner I'd chanced upon when getting a toothbrush and other to-go bag supplies. Mint and tea tree, a minor miracle and just that little bit of home. Hopefully, it would help as well.

What I'd come to consider a 'knock' or 'ping' of sorts suddenly emanated from my connection to the Misaka Network, but I ignored it, and… withdrew into myself in a sense, reaffirming my sense of self, my little puddle, against the ocean. The connection didn't disappear, but it contracted and I grew heavier and little aches made themselves more pronounced; the cost of keeping cutting myself off, I no longer had the stabilizing factor the Network provided. Well, maybe not the full effect, I was beginning to suspect I was still under it — at least to some extent — considering how 'well' I was handling things.

That had likely been the Will, presumably. But she was the last 'person' I wanted to talk to at the moment, or even for a while. The Will of the Whole Misaka Network was just… _stubborn_ , and I was as well, also argumentative. Not a good combination.

Of course, she could no doubt push the issue if she wanted to. But thus far, in the two days since she started opening me up to the network as a whole, she hadn't, at least not yet. Even going about it slowly though, it was still a bit much. Fortunately, all but having the knowledge and skill base of everything involved in being an Esper pre-programmed into my brain — with 'first hand' assistance from the Sisters — had helped me figure things out almost impossibly fast. But then, that was no doubt part and parcel of a hive mind, even somewhat 'firewalled' as I was.

So naturally my first real feat was figuring out how to block out — or rather dampen, I wasn't sure if it could be completely severed — my connection to the Network. Although, two things. One: It seemed to be getting less effective the more the connection was opened. And two: I wasn't too sure about outbound traffic.

So far, though, it seemed to be working.

Of course, the Sisters or the Will could no doubt press the issue if they wanted, but thus far they'd acquiesced to leaving me with my peace. They had _everything_ in hand, after all, no problem there with things going just according to the script, none at all.

The black pit in my stomach squirmed, and when I blinked visions of corpses flashed behind my eyelids. I made for the bathroom, steam from the shower already billowing out into the main room.

" _Knock Knock_ "

I stepped backward into the room and looked to the door. Was someone—

" _Knock Knock_ "

Yeah, that was someone at the door, and of course, it was now of all times. Who though? A Sister with the Will taking a more direct route of communication? Or maybe someone had seen through the perception filter whatever that kept people from catching on to the fact there were _ten thousand_ of the same person in a city?

Sighing, I grabbed the bathrobe and draping it over myself deposited the bottles into a pocket.

Stopping at the door, I stood up a little to peer through the peephole to spy a perky young woman with straight black hair standing outside in a red, monogrammed polo shirt with… something at her side. Something large, but distorted a bit and just out of sight.

I cracked the door to peek out at the woman. "Yes?"

She pulled her fist back from the door and blinked. "Oh, good morning miss, I have a delivery for one Aka Misaka?"

I blinked back and stared for a moment before realizing that, yes, that was me. Opening the door a bit more the woman leaned back and her eyes widened a little. "That's me."

"Oh yes, I can see it now. You really do look like your sister don't you. No need to see an ID I think, miss. Here, your delivery."

Reaching out beside her, she pulled the object into view and the pit writhed a little more.

"And good luck at your recital."

I just stared at the dark purple cello case as the woman smiled down at me, unknowing of just _what_ she'd delivered.

 **—**

A/N: Decided to cut this a little short since I didn't want to cut the rest of the snip back too much to make it an arbitrary length.


	4. Chapter 4

**Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #1.4**

—

The case had been a warning, I think. Also a present in a way… maybe, or both. Quite frankly, I still wasn't sure and that was after thinking about it off and on for a few hours.

What was I supposed to think, though? Sending me one of those damn cases out of the blue like that?

On one hand, I knew the cases were used as discrete transport for the equipment the Sisters used during the experiment… But on the other hand, _they were what the sisters used in the experiment._

Again, what was I _supposed_ to think?

But, despite there likely being a… _better,_ form of transport, one that I wouldn't associate with its owners dying horribly, I couldn't deny that it had still no doubt been sent with the best intentions. Particularly after getting the damn thing open and finding a letter alongside the equipment— dumb fiddly hidden magnetic lock.

At any rate, despite my initial speculation on seeing the thing, the letter said things plainly enough. It's rather hard to misinterpret 'Stop being obtuse' after all. Just three words, and if that wasn't clear enough the much longer postscript of 'You will soon be tested on your Esper abilities' said it even plainer. Plain, simple, no nonsense and unambiguous as a brick to the face. Just how I liked it.

That had helped, but the entire situation was still pretty damn fortune cookie and ominous as hell. Particularly considering the vagueness of what 'tested' might indicate. It could be anything from a surprise mugging to anti-Esper gang toughs, to trying to keep myself from being splattered like a Jackson Pollack painting.

Although, I doubted the extreme was what had been intended, and at that point, I realized I was just working myself up and over thinking it.

Ultimately though, the message to get off my ass and practice, worked. Albeit in a somewhat roundabout way. Nevertheless, it contributed a fair bit to my sitting on one of the city's public trains for the past few hours; getting some experience with the more subtler and low powered applications of Electromancy. And in retrospect, I'd needed to leave that room. Staying cooped up like I had… even if I'd been familiarizing myself with this reality, it hadn't been doing me any favors.

Besides, _super powers._

Simulating the oscillating, pulsating, magnetic fields I could feel propelling the train one final time in my mind, I opened my eyes to check that the standing and sitting passengers accompanying me weren't looking my way. No one was, all either engrossed in phones, newspapers or the rare book.

Excellent.

Normally, public transport wasn't the kind of place I'd go to for the peace and quiet I usually sought out when trying to do something. Normally, at least. In Japan at least, the cultural norms seemed a _bit_ different than those in the states and as such it was fairly quiet… for the most part at least.

In my periphery, the buildings the city flashed by, wide and short, narrow and tall, as the train sped along its elevated track and in my lap sat my backpack, much lighter but heavier at the same time. I tried not to think about the H&K sitting at the bottom as my fingers touched it through, instead searched about until I felt the cool roundness of a glass vial I'd picked up after leaving the hotel.

I pulled it out and stared at the black, granular powder within: Iron Sand.

A bit of electromagnetic attraction and a vial picked up from a science store and I had been ready to go. I needed to practice, and I had already had to fiddle with electromagnetic fields, so it seemed a perfect choice.

Math: The enemy that had screwed me in high school and college became my bitch as my hand quietly sparked crackled with electricity and particles lifted and floated in a rotating figure eight within the vial. But it wasn't enough, not for what I was trying to do.

Widening my connection to the network, I was able to expand the complexity of the formula I was using in proportion to the amount of processing power applied. Popping the orange rubber stopper, I poured out a sizable measure into my palm and watched it float in the air while putting the vial between my knees.

That was Levitation.

I closed the fingers of my free hand so only the pinky and index stuck out; bulls horns. Electricity sparked and the pinky became positively charged, the index negatively; the perfect stand ins for my feet.

Moving the floating mass of sand between the tips of my fingers, the particles were immediately drawn into the solenoid between the digits and while my other hand kept it in place as it came back around. Going in at the index, out at the pinky; in, and out, in, and out, in, and out. A rough duplication of the fields propelling the train car, but in miniature, and altering the formula the speed of the sand slowed down and sped up accordingly.

And that was Propulsion.

But Guidance… The idea was to be standing as if I were riding a skateboard or surfing, so maybe… I altered the formula to simulate me leaning to take a turn and— the once stable loop of iron sand violently scattered, the new electromagnetic field I'd introduced interacting badly.

Grimacing, I waved my hand about to gather up what I could. So that was a no go. I needed one hand to control levitation and another to managed guidance. But for this to work, the fields needed to be in balance, and I didn't have enough arms for that.

I tried again, but to the same result. I couldn't… I, couldn't. And that was the issue, 'I' couldn't. Misaka could probably pull off what I was trying to do in a pinch, but I wasn't that high a level… that was what the Misaka Network was for though, wasn't it?

Tentatively widening the connection again, I was able to see the problem, and the solution, as if they had been there the entire time: All I needed to split both jobs equally between both hands.

Dumping the sand onto my lap I shifted the fingers of my free hand, moving them between this position and that; bullhorns, peace sign, and a dozen others with varying degrees of uncomfortableness and functionality until… "Live long and Prosper," I muttered, staring down at my fingers split into a V with the thumb tucked into my palm. Electricity arced on both sides of the V, two slightly parted fingers for Levitation, and the other two for guidance.

I gathered the sand before catching myself. This would only work for a full-scale run, though.

Spreading my fingers even further until they started hurting a little, and it was more as if I was just holding four fingers out. Sparks arced, but the fields didn't seem to interfere with each other. Shutting down Guidance, only the inner fingers forming the V sparked with Levitation, and cranking up the amperage drew in the iron sand. Then putting my right hand into the bull's horns once more, pointed them toward each other until the iron sand was drawn into a loop.

Propulsion and levitation worked then. Now for guidance… More variables, more complexity for the formula. I winced as a point to the front of my head throbbed and opening my connection to the Network a little more in response slowly created a field at the tips of my fingers. The iron reacted; one end of the loop shifted to the right, one end to the left

It worked. It. _Worked!_

I played with it a little further, testing formula for acceleration and turning and potential changes in elevation before putting the sand back in the vial, a satisfied smile on my lips. I had powers, and they worked.

Of course, reality came crashing down as I pulled back from the network and the formula I'd been using with ease became incomprehensible gibberish. Some of it, parts, I understood. But it was largely nothing but numbers.

And of course, I'd be delusional if I believed the Sisters or Misaka hadn't already figured out something like this. But still, _it worked_.

Absently checking how many more stops I had left until it was my turn to get off, I sat back and closed my eyes while trying to figure out some applications for electromancy that _didn't_ require someone to be Magneto or Thor, the God of Thunder. A few stops later though...

"Did you hear about all those fires?"

A girl's voice, older, with the condescending tone of a stuck up high school socialite. The girl was the type of person I'd normally avoid like the plague and ignore out of hand, but the question… I surreptitiously shifted my cap to look to the source and saw a cluster of girls well along into their, ah, 'development'.

"Totally," a girl with blond hair said as she thumbed at a blue flip phone. "Natsuki and I were betting on how many would go up. My guess was it would be eight, but last I heard there were only six that burned down."

"I heard it was nine, and I heard there was one earlier today out in District 23."

I looked away. So, her attack run was already winding down then. An uncomfortable mixture of relief and dread swirled in my chest and stomach. It should only be a few more days then. But in the opposite vein, it was still a few days where the experiment would continue.

I kept listening in though, trying to learn a bit more about the city; gossip is one of the best sources of seed information after all. But as they kept talking, they shifted into increasingly vapid topics and it became painful, agonizing, _excruciating!_ My— brain cells— I could feel them— dying—

'Please… save… me…'

My concentration slipped, the connecting widened, and my suffering began broadcasting to the Misaka's. I tried focusing, to bring my barrier back up, but fortune smiled on me; soft music, with muted chatter in the background, came through and gave me something to concentrate on.

 _"'I think you are overreacting', Misaka 11093 thinks at Aka in chastisement for rudely listening in on another's conversation while sipping her delicious milk tea."_

I snorted and closed my eyes to listen to the notes when all of a sudden warmth and flavors washed over my tongue. The bitter taste of earl gray, but slightly sweet with a fullness that dulled the bite.

Blinking, my eyes widened for a moment before I sank into my seat. Lips turning up and eyes closing again, I let my head tip to the side and rest against the hull of the car as the noises of the car slowly faded into the background while Idly feeling the EM waves pulse beneath my feet and listen to the second-hand music from 11093.

-I-

"Thank you and please come again, Miss."

Waving over my shoulder in response to the waitress, I left the small sushi shop with a bagged bento box in hand. And merging with the thinning dusk crowd, started heading towards a moderately sized small park just a few blocks away.

Aside from tourism, if there was one reason I'd have wanted to come to Japan, it would have been for the food. Weird as some of it was to me, like Nankotsu which was literally just _cartilage_ , some of the other things were downright delicious. Like Takoyaki which was essentially chunks of octopus in a ball dumpling with sauces… just smelling it after getting off the train had made my mouth water, and here it wasn't exorbitantly expensive, and I had an expense account. It was a no brainer what I was going to have for dinner after that.

The warmth of the box holding _those_ radiated into my hand and it was all I could do to not crack it open and start nomming as I walked. But I couldn't because then I might fumble with it and drop the precious, and… and I refused to consider anything that led to that happening.

Reaching the park, I picked a park bench that looked clean enough and settling down on one ends set out the styrofoam bento boxes out beside me. With the octopus balls, however, I opened the container and all but drooled on the glazed treats and the sweet, tantalizing scent that wafted up to me. Snapping apart my chopsticks, I grabbed one and threw it back, chewing slowly and savoring the smooth, creamy sauce and the chewy octopus. Oh, it had been way too long since I'd had some of these.

Swallowing, I looked back to the container to pick out another in time to see a toothpick spear a glazed ball and my heart jumped into my throat. Following the hand back to its source, though, I saw a Misaka as she sat down at the other end of the bench.

"What the hell—" There was little I could do but watch as the octopus ball disappeared into her mouth but sigh at the loss. "You know, it's not nice to steal someone food."

"'Is it honestly stealing though, to steal food purchased with stolen money,' Misaka retorts, distracting Aka while she herself discreetly steals another delicious treat."

True enough, I could only watch in horror as the Sister's hand came back into view with another octopus ball. Clutching the container close, I bared my teeth, "Mine." After a moment though, a stomach grumbled, and realizing it wasn't mine I nodded at the sashimi bento between us. "But you can have some fish if you want it." Not offering _anything_ would just be rude.

"'Thank you,' Misaka says, pleased that her plan was a success."

I twitched, but I didn't deign to respond, instead deciding to shut the Takoyaki container and tear open a dozen packets of lite soy sauce. It wasn't much actually, the packets smaller than those in the US, but plenty enough to fill a compartment and let me soak a chunk of bluefin toro for a few seconds before tossing it back with a bit of rice.

The sister hovered over the colorful selection of fish and other inordinately inexpensive sea life that I'd picked out before picking a piece of Seared Ahi. Not something I'd have expected to find in Japan, as it was an American creation, at least as far as I knew, but why let an idea go to waste.

And so it went like that for more than a few minutes, each of us slowly eating through what was ultimately two or so portions due to my misjudging how much I could actually eat. Again. At least this wouldn't go to waste though, it was good fish, very fresh, and you never let quality fish go to waste.

Snagging the last bit of yellowtail, I carefully squeezed a lemon wedge over it before breaking the companionable silence.

"So... I suppose you were hungry as well?" Sure, not the best opener, but usually it was someone else and I was the quiet one.

"'You suppose correctly,' Misaka confirms. 'However, there was an alternate reason she wanted to meet with you.'"

I paused, my cynicism causing me to look at the worst paths this conversation might take before forcing myself off it and going for a tuna roll.

"'Misaka wanted to speak with you regarding your reaction to what you consider our 'following the script', Misaka says, explaining while quoting Aka."

I choked; the bit of seaweed, fish, rice, and other things the Japanese used in their rolls catching in my throat. 'The Script,' I sure as hell hadn't said that aloud, at least I was sure I hadn't, so how the hell—

The clone turned to me as I cleared the blockage, "'You see, this Misaka disagrees with how Misaka 9997 and the one you know as Will went about answering your question two days ago.'"

I sat up a little, the black pit that had been absent for much of the day making its presence known— if only just.

"'She operates on an unconscious consensus,' Misaka clarifies before Aka can overreact. 'Following the conversation you had with her, this Misaka was among those who came to believe that by withholding information she did not have the desired effect,' Misaka states, vocally revealing to Aka how she slightly differentiates from her Sisters due to Aka separating herself from the Misaka Network.'"

I flushed a bit at the call out, but that was overwhelmed by the information that she — and others — disagreed with the Will. But… was it that surprising? They were part of a hive mind, but they were still individuals despite their shared memories. Hormonal differences based on their individual situations alone would account for _something_ , and then there were physical interactions. Maybe it was different at the beginning, but as they began experiencing things by themselves the unique variable would begin to add up no matter how small or insignificant...

I nodded and snagged a piece of salmon, if for no other reason than to occupy my hands. "I see. And you disagreed?"

"'Indeed. Based on analysis of the limited memories of your past that have been released to the Misaka Network, this Misaka believes that by not explaining our reasoning in depth the conversation would have a psychologically detrimental effect on you,' Misaka answers before quickly adding, 'In addition, several Misaka's in agreement a number of textbooks on Psychology and reached supporting conclusions.

Filing away the tidbit that my _entire_ life wasn't revealed to almost ten thousand teenage girls, I gestured for her to consider while reaching a shaky for the last Miso soup cup.

"'You see, while the Misaka Network understands and appreciates that you consider our continuation of the experiment to be a pointless a waste of life,' Misaka affirms, 'we also calculated the probability that alteration of the events leading up to the halting of Project Level Six Shift could potentially cause undesired side effects that would put Big Sister's and the Boy's ultimate confrontation at risk. This was deemed too great a risk by a ninety-nine point nine nine consensus of the Misaka Network,' Misaka reaffirms."

I looked away and began gnawing on a chopstick. The Misaka was just restating what I knew, what I — at least in part — _logically_ understood, but it wouldn't change the fact that they were still going along with it.

"We could change things, as you said,' Misaka confirms. 'And there were a number of moments in which several Sisters were tempted to do as such if only to ease Big Sisters pain,' Misaka adds sadly, understanding in part Big Sister reacted as she did thanks to Aka. 'But, predictions indicated that that too would have unintended side effects that would put the foreknowledge you have provided in jeopardy. As such, the points of the subject were discussed and unanimously decided by the one hundred and twenty-three Misaka's involved that they would continue to participate in the experiment in order to ensure a better future for their Sisters,' Misaka explains in greater depth, but realizing that it is of little comfort to Aka."

One hundred and twenty-three… all dead, having willingly let themselves be brutally murdered… sacrificing themselves. I just… even if it was for the large picture, I… Swallowing, I closed my eyes and slowly breathed out as I came to grips with the facts. Logically, I understood, but emotionally… I probably never could, I never had before at any rate. "You're right," I muttered. "It doesn't, but even if I don't agree I can still understand. Thank you."

"You are welcome. In addition, it may help to know that tonight is the last night of the experiment,' Misaka states with no small amount of relief."

That… I breathed in and released a long breath, a weight of sorts lifting from my shoulders. Yes, it did help.

A soft tap of wood on thin plastic made me glance over to see the Sister snagging a Rainbow Roll. I watched as she briefly dipped it in the Tare Sauce I hadn't touched before throwing it back and reaching for a piece of sashimi while chewing. Her pace reminded me a bit of myself from before actually.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Indeed," she replied even as she chewed.

"Maybe we can do it in the future then," I offered.

Swallowing, she looked my way and nodded. "This Misaka, Misaka 12000, would enjoy doing so again,' though she would prefer a better conversation topic she adds."

In spite of everything I smiled, it was a thin, and brittle, but despite the circumstances, it was genuine. "I believe that I would enjoy that as well. But for now, it is time for Misaka to go." Setting down her chopsticks she stood and turned back to me. "'As you like to say instead of goodbye, 'I will see you later,'' Misaka says, looking forward to our next counter. And thank you for the meal." Bowing, she turned and walked away.

I sat there for a bit, the last of my dinner sitting untouched before part of what the Sister had said actually processed and clicked. Tonight was the end, there would be no more sisters taking part in the experiment tonight, and so would be gone one of the primary reasons for shutting myself out...

Tilting my head back, I stared up at the night sky, the last dregs of the sun only just disappearing. It should be around that time, shouldn't it? It was a wild thought, but maybe...

Hesitantly, I opened my connection to the Misaka Network. Slowly at first, but then I threw caution to the wind and open the connection fully. It… wasn't like I'd thought it would be, aside from the feeling of vastness, Legion but Singular, it just… _was_. It felt right, as unsettling as that was.

I focused on Accelerator, the fight, and after a moment another perspective overlapped mine; a yellow striped bit of concrete. A hand with a bit of blood came into view for a moment and— The perspective cut out and an instant later my dinner rose in my throat.

I… I… the to go boxes scattered as I stumbled to my feet and closed myself off from the network. I needed… I needed… I knew what I needed. If there was any other time for it, it was now.

-I-

Something moved me and I shifted at the edge of wakefulness and sleep when something, a detail out of place, caught my attention and drew me further from sleep. I felt the sheets of the bed beneath my feet, too soft. And the comforter, not heavy enough... This was not the hotel bed. I buried the thought and snuggled into the soft, downy pillow a moment before the feeling registered along with the realization... And this was not the hotel pillow.

My eyes cracked open to see a wood bed, bookshelf, fancy green wallpaper an open door leading to an ensuite bathroom and… and… a reflection?

"What are you _doing here,"_ The reflection hissed before reeling back. "And why do you smell like Sake?"

I blinked sluggishly. No, it couldn't be a reflection since it was wearing the stupidly short — albeit a little rumpled — grey skirt I'd thrown out the moment I could so… Dream? I blinked again, but the gunk in my eyes remained, something I'd never had in my lucid dreams.

This time I blinked twice in rapid succession as higher levels of cognition returned to me. So… not a dream, but how could I end up at _her_ dorm. I didn't even know where it _was._ A foul taste made itself known in my mouth, a combination of burning warmth that ran down my throat and something sour. Swallowing did little to alleviate it, and in fact, my mouth seemed almost dry.

A red flush suddenly spread across the reflections face as it looked behind me and oh god this was real wasn't it and this was actually the original—

Thin but strong arms I hadn't noticed tightened around my midsection, and a small, feminine form rubbed against me from behind.

But if Misaka was there, and I was in her dorm, then… oh no, _the pervert._

 _"I did try to tell you ahead of time /return,"_ The Will chimed in.

—

A/N: And that, as they say, is a wrap... at least for now as this wraps up the chapter. But next stop, thread! (next thing to update _will_ be Cest though) As usual, please let me know what you thought of things; critiques, complaints, or anything in between.


	5. Chapter 5

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #1.5

—

Warmth spread across my face like a sunburn as the girl, the… the _middle schooler,_ ground against me like a horny rabbit and— My stomach seized at the thought one moment, and in the next I smelled _it_ ; the phantom smell that returned whenever I became sick or congested, the pungent scent of half digested fried rice and orange chicken.

Pressure rapidly built in my throat before releasing in _only_ a rancid tasting burp that sent Misaka reeling back, her face twisting in a rictus of revulsion as she covered her mouth. I threw off the comforter and tried to get out, get to the bathroom and the throne, but the arms tightened around me, and a quiet, sleep distorted voice murmured nothings into my back.

Like a mule kick to the gut, the pressure in my throat reappeared as my stomach churned. I struggled and writhed, but the arms held tight even as the pressure in my throat built up more and more.

In my desperation, the formula's ran through my mind and a weak electrical current ran over my body. Several thousand amps, easily, but all she did was moan and— Oh god, was she actually _— oh hell no!_

I threw aside my firewall to the Misaka Network, useless as it was I tangentially noticed upon feeling the breadth of the connection, and in used the exponentially greater processing power available to amplify my formula's without going through the effort to get. Her. _OFF_!

Misaka stepped forward, reaching out, but pulled back for some reason.

The hair on my arms stood on end, electricity sparked, arced, and the smell of ozone briefly precipitated a truncated, high pitched scream a moment before the arms loosened.

Free, I shoved past Misaka in my scramble of the bathroom. Throwing up the toilet lid, I hovered over the porcelain throne, gripping the seat with one hand and the sink counter in the other with a white knuckled grip. And… and… the pressure in my throat eased off, my stomach relaxing. I let out a slow breath as my panic gradually receded. Looks like it was nothing but a false—

The pressure in the base of my throat reappeared and broke through a precipice that sent last night's dinner came rushing out.

"Hey, sorry about her. Are you allrigh— oh that's disgusting." Misaka, probably, the voice certainly sounded like mine at least.

All I managed to get out was a groan and a semi incoherent 'Sorry' between spitting to clear my mouth before catching a back draft. Not as terrible as fried rice and orange chicken, but so, _so_ much worse.

My throat _burned_ from the regurgitation while an ache in my jaw took root as I hugged the cool, soothing ceramic as I emptied my stomach into the bowl… and at some point, I'd ended up on my knees.

Mercifully, I heard the handle clink and the toilet suddenly flushed before I could catch another whiff and— my throat burned and more came up. Chunky, and granular — likely from the rice — but more stomach acid and bile that anything else.

I blinked away hot tears as my vision blurred, my nose running and spittle dripping. But it wasn't done, and it was _never_ done until it was done.

Eventually, I was just sitting there; hugging the bowl with a panging emptiness in my stomach, an ache in my jaw, and a burning in my throat. Distantly, I heard a muffled _thump_ and an indiscernible cry from the main bedroom and glanced up to see a blurry bit of brown... Wood paneling? Oh, the door, one of them must have closed it.

Spitting, I stood on shaky legs and stumbled to the door. My knuckles hit the wood once, twice— there, cool metal. Managing to turn the knob and pull the door open, I only opened it a few inches a bit before the floor shook with pounding feet and the door suddenly jerked shut.

"Sorry," Misaka said through the door, her voice muffled, but the weariness coming clear. "But even if you _weren't_ stinking like booze, I'd want you to wash up after…" She trailed off at my vomiting. "Well, _that_. Just come out once you've cleaned up a bit, ok? There's some mouthwash under the sink and you're welcome to use whatever you need from the shower."

"Mm 'K,' I murmured.

"Right… and I'll put some of my things on the counter. After that, we can talk about what exactly you think you were doing here— in my bed— smelling like— whatever. Even if you are my _sister_ ," hearing the emphasis on _'sister'_ , I glanced at the door and frowned. "We'll need to have a talk about personal boundaries. And don't worry, while you clean up I'll have a talk with my roommate about what is and isn't acceptable behavior."

"Ah, but Sissy, it really wasn't what—"

"Kuroko! What did I say about talking?"

Closing my eyes, I leaned against the door and sighing, I— I recoiled as the sour breath filled my nose and doubled over gagging. Yeah, ok. Point taken. I stumbled to the shower and steped in, reaching down to pull off my… the fabric between my fingers most certainly wasn't my T-shirt and I looked down to see green, frog faced pajamas. Shirt _and_ bottoms.

How… _why?_ Narrowing my eyes I focused on that train of thought. Those questions could apply to two things actually: One, how the hell did I end up here, and Two, how the hell did I come to be wearing pajamas?

Pulling them off, I shucked my underthings without looking and cranked the hot water knob to near scalding.

More importantly, _how did I end up here_? After I'd managed to pay someone enough to buy me a bottle of sake and had only had a few shots then… nothing. I knew I'd started drinking in my hotel room, though.

Standing under the stream and letting the water drum against my scalp and pour down my face.

But a few shots were insignificant, little more than a warm buzz that would go away thanks to my metabolism... and… and auburn hair washed down to hand in front of my eyes... my tolerance, my _old_ tolerance.

My forehead came forward to press against the cool shower tile, beaded water cool against my skin. " _Fuuuuuuuuuuuck_." Of course, I can't throw back shots of sake — let alone shots of 'Morgan like I used to — and walk away with little more than a light buzz. I was now… what? One hundred pounds at the upper end? Maybe, probably less though, so why should I have expected otherwise?

But ok, that's one explanation and at least it I hadn't drunk so much as to give me a hangover. At some point, though, I still must've dipped into the sauce a bit _too_ much. That still didn't change the fact that that had been in the hotel though, and yet I'd woken up here… somewhere I'd never been… wearing pajamas I'd never bought or seen before. So… wait, 'Will?'

 _"Whatcha need?"_

'Why am I in the Tokiwadai dormitory?'

" _Well… Because it's where you're enrolled at?_ "

I blinked. Enrolled? As in... enrolled? What. Why would... No. Nonono— Error.404 Not Found. Rebooting — no, she couldn't have... I mean, _what?_ And _how?_ But I'm, I'm not even a… She couldn't… I slowly closed my eyes and breathed in, and out, and— _'Why would you do this?!'_

 _"Ok, now try not to take this personally—"_ Totally not what you say when you don't want someone to take something personally "— _but did you believe you could maintain the lifestyle you were settling into /escape? When the project is fully shut down, then so too would the expense account you were using."_

'What are you—'

 _"Although,_ " she continued, _'talking' over me, "I suppose I should at least accept some blame for your overlooking matters like this. In my effort to stabilize your emotional state I must have over-compensated a bit /return. As a result, you went about as you normally would without considering the situation in depth beyond what stood out in the fore /return. However, your own not inconsiderable capability to procrastinate and ignore the rising tide until it is at your doorstep must not be understated /return."_

Somewhere, a Sister snorted over the network and made the effort of sending me Hy Brazil's final moments; the last of the populace deluding themselves until the very end even as the floodwaters rose above their heads.

I snorted as well at the image, but while it took a bit of the edge off, there was the fact that she was still fiddling with my emotions… and I hadn't noticed. That the sister was using _that_ skit to represent _me_ , though... 'Ok, I overlooked the charge card issue and I know have problems, but I'm nowhere near that bad.'

 _"Not quite, however, you do still have a terrible tendency to ignore the facts of reality when faced with significant enough emotional turmoil /return. For the past few days, you've been simply reverting to familiar measures of coping /backspace, distracting yourself where you still while still ignoring reality at large."_

 _'And— Wait a moment...' I stopped as what the sister had just done fully clicked. She'd commented based on the context of our conversation. 'Are the rest of the sisters listening in?'_

 _"'Not at all,' Misaka 15547 vehemently denies, interjecting herself into the conversation without prompting."_

I suddenly felt like beating my head against the tile and an impression of Embarrassment leaked through from the Will. _"...A number are, yes."_

This time my head actually thumped against the tile. 'And they have _nothing_ better to do?'

 _"Not particularly, no /return. A few are running errands, but at the moment a large number are just relaxing. For instance, Misaka 12000 is fattening herself on Yakitori while Misaka 10032 is sitting by the Boy's bedside /return. Both are among those being busybodies."_

'That's…' Aside from an outrageous invasion of privacy, then again, _hive mind,_ just… _'_ Great, just... Fucking great. So not only am I being enrolled in Middle School, but also a _girls_ middles school, with immature tweenager antics and cliques and… and… Fuck my life. OH! And I'm apparently a sitcom for the sisters as well? You may as well just send me to my own personal hell and be done with it and— actually, no, I think that'd be more preferable.'

 _"Stop being so melodramatic and relax, you'll be fine /return. And haven't you told yourself for years that you would use your school years better if you had a second chance /escape? Well, even if it may not have been in the shape you thought you now have one /return. Also, am I take your lack of response as a recognition of the points I made about your coping /escape?'_

There was no use denying it. I knew myself well enough that she probably wasn't wrong. I couldn't tell now, it was too recent, but from a retrospective view, I'd no doubt see it clear as day.

" _Understood. Then let's consider that point of contention concluded /return_."

I sighed and glancing about grabbed the least offending shampoo from a wall niche. 'You could've at least given me a heads up,' I grumbled.

 _"I tried, you were ignoring me /return."_

My lips pulled back into a scowl in an instant. 'Oh, now that's bullshit and you know it, you tried two times and there's no way you couldn't have gotten through my piddly block. Hell, you could have let me know in that letter or sent another damn courier or a sister or whatever Something, _anything_.'

 _"You're right, I could have. But /backspace remember that it was you who all but cut yourself off from the world, I was simply respecting your wish for privacy /return. Yes, I share some blame for that, but you could have taken better care of yourself regardless /return. And whether you recognize it or not /backspace, you were heading toward a self-destructive downward spiral despite my efforts to moderated things to the contrary /return. You were simply being too obstinate /return."_

Shifting my head out of the stream I snorted. Thinking back, I tried to counter that, but… she wasn't exactly wrong there either.

I combed a handful of lightly scented shampoo back through my hair. Long, at least longer than normal, but not overly so and proportionally grown out rather than the thick mess I'd dealt with in the past. I started combing it in while weighing my options. I could just walk out of spite for being forced into this, something that I'd admittedly have done in the past if given enough reason, but here… the question wasn't how far I could go, but how long I would last.

Really, all I _knew_ , or rather what I could recall with any degree of clarity, were scattered fragments of information from trawling the Wikia and from the Anime. Of the two of us, the Will was really the one that would know the most and make use of that information. For as much as Testament had helped me settle in, I'd basically be flying blind if I struck out on my own. Hell, just getting beyond the walls of the city safely would be an issue in itself and even then there was the question of what would happen afterward. Academy city existed for a reason after all. And then there were the various magic churches —however that worked— and I may as well shoot myself to save them the trouble considering my opinion on most religions.

Weren't there supposed to be _actual_ gods here though? Or were they the personification memetic type ala: 40K 'Gods'? Either way, I'm pretty sure that that was a resounding and pants shiting _yes._ But, so long as it didn't affect me now really wasn't the time to step into _that_ subject.

Shaking my head, I dunked my head under the stream and started washing. 'So I pretty much know the answer to this, but what happens if I say no? You should know full well how I would react to being forced into this. I just want my peace and quiet and not having to deal with stupid shit, and I had that, but here you are all but forcing me into the foreground while attending a _girls middle school_. That's basically the opposite of peace and quiet.'

 _"Do you not remember how the Sisters came to be?"_

A new voice came through via a loudspeaker, an older man with an odd, almost lispy tonal inflection that had a… distance to it, "nothing but synthesized masses of drugs and protein."

Then another, older, more gentle, "There's no good way to tell you this I'm afraid, but due to the methods used to accelerate your gestation, your bodies are in complete disarray and are deteriorating at a frightening rate. Without immediate treatment to bring them back in line, I fear very few will live to see next summer."

I slowly went numb, my tongue became heavy and I froze in place as suds ran down my bangs.

 _"You understand then, yes /return?"_

Absently, automatically, I ran a hand back over my head to keep the soap from my eyes. _'I remember now, the Sister clones, all of them, they only have a year to live if they aren't treated… and so do I._

 _"That is the case /backspace, yes, or at least that is how it normally would be /return. Due to the circumstances of your existence, it will be quite impossible for you to safely participate in the same treatment program as the rest of the Sisters /return. Especially when taking into account the other interests within the city that would wish to utilize the Misaka Network to their own ends and see your existence as something to study /return. Ultimately, your goal of 'peace and quiet' would at best have been cut short in the long term and doomed to failure from the outset/return. As such your enrollment didn't just stem from your mental health situation, but your physical as well /return."_

'So that's the carrot, then?' My continued living?' I bitterly thought at the gestalt.

 _"No, whether you believe me on this or not, there is no 'carrot' or 'stick' /return. Instead, it is my hope that you would assist of your own free will when asked or as you see fit, if for nothing more than ensuring your own benefit and continued existence /return. You would also be properly compensated and a new charge card will be made available to you of course /return."_

I slowly unfroze, pushing my hair back as the water began to run clear before putting them against the tile.

'Still though, why Tokiwadai? Why here? You could have picked anywhere else but you chose this school.' I suspected I knew and was… somewhat ok with that, I could understand, but hearing her say it would help.

 _"While the ultimate decision to enroll you in a place of education arose in regards to your health, I must admit that there was a somewhat selfish aspect of the decision process: Big Sister, your attendance would allow us to interact with big sister via a proxy, if only to keep an eye out us /return. You see, as much as your memories will help the Sisters develop individuality, they still have a long time until then, years perhaps /return. In the meantime, you would be there, someone who is technically a sister, and part of the Misaka Network, but can avoid drawing overt suspicion /return. And in addition to Big Sister, there are a number of individuals attending Tokiwadai that We may wish to make contact with /return."_

'So, in a nutshell, I'm enrolled here because it's safe, but also to be an ambassador of sorts.'

 _"An accurate enough term to describe it, yes /return."_

I ran a finger behind my ear and grimaced. Ambassador huh, that really made me wonder just how much she'd gathered from my memories. Dealing with people, and people that might attract her attention at that… What other choice did I have though? None, really.

Gritting my teeth I struck my palm against the tile. It was a cathartic action that did little, I wanted to do more than hit something, but I did it anyway. Just… "Fuck it."

'I assume you just hacked my records into the system or something? What is my history? Who am I supposed to be?'

 _"So you're agreeing to stay then?"_

'I have no home and no other family,' and wasn't actually thinking that a kick in the gut. 'And no other support base. So I don't really have any other choice, do I?'

 _"No, not really, and I'm sorry things are happening this way… But very well /return. You are Aka Misaka, the younger and less capable twin sister to the infamous Railgun of Tokiwadai, Mikoto Misaka that enjoys reading and photography in her downtime /return. Due to a chronic and recurring hormonal imbalance adversely affecting your day to day health, and your Electromaster abilities, you have been kept out of the public eye while off and on attending a less prestigious school these past years /return. That is, until several months ago when both a breakthrough was found in your treatment, and the school you were attending was closed down and you decided to apply to Tokiwadai to be closer to your sister /return. There is more, of course, and I will fill you in later, but today will be a busy day and you have been in the shower for quite some time now /return."_

The Will's presence faded, my connecting shrinking a fraction. I sighed. So I'm supposed to be the sick twin then? Simple enough, and technically true (the best kind of true). But how well would it hold up under scrutiny?

What the hell had I just signed up for… Letting my eyes drift shut, I tilted my head back so the shower head sprayed into my face.

So much so fast. I just… I just needed… My hand shifted against the tile.

I just needed to think.

—

A/N: And that's chapter one. Kindly let me know thoughts and comments otherwise... otherwise a Sister will eat your ice cream.


	6. Chapter 6

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #2.1

—

Sitting in the hard, stiff backed wooden desk chair, I couldn't resist shifting in place. Fidgeted, really, with my fingers tugging at the (way too short) pleated grey skirt Mikoto had loaned me while trying to resist slouching or rocking back too much. At least my shorts had been good enough to re-use, at least for now. So that helped a bit.

The whole setup rather reminded me of an interrogation, though, what with Mikoto glowering at me from her bed while Kuroko looked at me through the bars of her headboard and just sorta… well, _stared_. Thus far she was acting rather subdued and hadn't said a word when I left the bathroom; instead just quietly observing, with nothing feeling perverted or overtly creepy thus far. Of course, the traces of singing on her clothes might have had to do with that.

I glanced between the two as the silence began to draw on… and on… and on to the point of awkwardness, then beyond even that. Well it could keep drawing on, I sure wasn't breaking it.

Overall, the situation made me more than a little uncomfortable if I thought about it too much, something only exacerbated by the fact that the two girls were among the, ah, well, to put it simply, more _lethal_ of the city's Espers. Kuroko for the fact she could put a nail in my brain from a hundred odd meters or put me six feet under with just a touch, and Mikoto for… well, for the fact that her ability pretty much let her manipulate an elementary component of the universe and her skills with electricity could likely be summed up as 'yes'.

The aforementioned Electromaster coughed, and getting a pointed look from her I just raised an eyebrow. She kept staring though, and I stared back without breaking eye contact until eventually she slumped and sighed. "Kuroko, if you haven't already figured it out, this is my twin sister. Aka, Kuroko. Kuroko, Aka."

"We've met," I deadpanned, then blinked as Mikoto frowned. Shit, the third person thing.

Fortunately, an absent minded "Sister…" from the other bed drew her attention and Mikoto let loose with a burst of electricity that threw the orange-brown haired girl off the bed.

"Get your mind out of the gutter already!"

Hair sticking up a little and with her clothes a little more charred, the other girl slowly crawled back onto her bed. "Bu- but I wasn't doing anything sissy!" And the funny thing was, she probably hadn't been.

"So short tempered dear Big Sister is," I mused, bringing my hand up to hide my smile as she flushed.

"You!"

"Me?" Lowering my hand I smiled at her, innocent and pure as the driven snow.

She just sighed. "Anyway, yes, she's my sister," Mikoto continued, flapping her hand dismissively. "And I was the one born first because I'm the awesome one. She's been sick for as far back as I can remember though, so that's why you've never met her and… and it's why I've never talked about her, I didn't want to draw attention to her." She glanced down briefly, for what I could only guess was for emphasis before looking to me and glowering, a spark arcing through her hair. "I don't know how she ended up here like she did though. Feel like explaining _that_ , Aka?"

I just blinked and looked away, intending to ignore the question, but a growing hum at the edge of my hearing and a buzz on my skin drew my attention back to Mikoto to see an almost halo-like ring of electricity dancing around her crown. Huh, I may have been dense as a brick at the best of times but that actually seemed genuine. But hey I'm the sick little sister, she wouldn't _actually_ try to hurt me… would she?

I shrugged, and shifting in my seat I pulled the skirt down again as it— Mikoto's eye spasmed, her smile became strained at the same time her little halo faltered and—! I scooched back as a bolt arced off the halo and hit the wood between my legs. My heart jackhammered in my throat as I stared at the scorch mark left behind. Oh, ah... shit, she totally would hurt her dear sick little sister.

"And so very violent Big Sister is," I murmured and my throat, _already_ blocked with my suddenly frozen heart, locked up as my mouth to brain filter momentarily stopped working. Also my good sense of self-preservation, apparently. What was the expression about poking the caged tiger?

"Ah! How many times have I told you, Sissy! You know using your powers in the dorms is against the rules! Of all times, now would be the worst for the dorm mistress to come by. And against your own sister, how could you?"

Wut. I hadn't read the dorm rules, and I had no clue what they might entail beyond what I could guess, but I was _fairly certain_ unsolicited sexual acts are also against the rules as well. I eyed the black scorch mark on the wood again. I appreciated the thought, though.

Blinking away as if it were never there, the halo disappeared and the blood fled from Mikoto's face. "O- oh yeah, sorry. Just sibling love, you know. Ha-ha!"

"Yeah, siblings fight all the time dontcha know. We just love to push each other's buttons. Like, about certain boys the other might like and stuff." I winked at Mikoto as her face lost all color and glanced at Kuroko, hoping she would take the bait, but all I saw was her frown and looking between the two of us suddenly vanished… Damnit.

The soft hiss of sliding paper and a light thunk made me look to right and see the pigtailed girl standing next to the bookshelf; a thick, leather bound tome in hand and rapidly flicking through pages as her eyes scanned the contents. Flipping to another page, I saw a bit of a person and a building. Pictures; a photo album.

Oh. OH! Well well. Wasn't that quick of her. Print media, may thee be the eternal foe of hackers and fabricated backstories everywhere. Also, trees, the foe that crosses universes.

"But, Sissy…" Frowning as she looked up from the book, Kuroko glanced between Mikoto and I before focusing on her friend. "Even if you didn't want to draw attention, why aren't there any photo's of you two together?"

I couldn't help it, sitting back a little and putting an arm back over the chair I smiled as the pervert put a not insignificant hole into the story Mikoto had been trying to spin. Troublesome, but nevertheless I could appreciate such quick thinking— especially for a middle schooler… then again, Esper. Besides, with how close the two were how long would the 'little sister' charade have seriously lasted? But it wasn't a crippling hiccup, depending on how the original handled her reaction, she may be able to recover.

"Eh?" Mikoto blinked at the other girl. "W- well, you see..."

I watched, ignored, as she floundered to respond and began wilting under Kuroko's rapid fire questioning.

Oh. Badly then... Ok. I sort of just tuned her out after that as she sputtered from one thing to another, only half listening.

So I may as well consider that 'sister' plan a complete and utter failure. And she managed to deceive her roommate about what she was doing for the past week… how again? Oh, right, by keeping things as simple as possible and with her roommate being somewhat willfully ignorant and wanting to see the best in her 'Sissy'... except suddenly then there's a Sister shaped wrench— in the form of me drinking myself into a stupor —thrown into the works by the Sisters dumping me here.

I watched as Kuroko crept forward to loom over Mikoto as bullshit story after bullshit story fell flat… Yeah, she definitely needs to work on thinking up lies on the fly. Also, keeping the lies straight; it becomes a bit of an issue when your story starts to contradict itself. Maybe I could get her some mad-lib books as an apology?

Funny though, with her knowing I was supposed to be her sick sister I'd've figured the Sisters would have given her a heads up… and for that matter. 'Hey, voice in my head, what happened to filling me in? What do you want to come out of this?' I waited for a beat and even widened my connection to the Misaka Network a bit, despite it already being pretty much fully opened but… nothing. 'Will?' No response. I tried a sister, but nothing there either.

So, what? Was she ignoring me? Or… throwing me into the deep end to see if I'd sink or swim? Assessing how I would handle things? No, wrong analogy, she would know me well enough from my memories to predict how this would play out... So expecting me to be myself then? That was a thought. 'Will?' And… still nothing. I mean, ok, if that was the intent, then fine, but I'd still rather confirm if that's what she wanted.

I widened the connected even more. 'Brain Parasite, you there? Freeloader?' Nothing… I hummed as Kuroko dismissed some point or another and it made me recall my second conversation with the Will. 'Queen Administrator?' A brief sense of annoyance, but still no response. Well… ok then. I'll just take that as a yes.

"What are you not telling me? You know you can trust me Sissy, so why—"

"What is this supposed to be Kuroko, an interrogation? I'm not—"

"If it has to be, then yes! I want to know why you would be so cruel as to try and pretend your own sister didn't exist! And if she isn't your sister, then who is she?"

Well... there it was. Still though, with how long I'd spent in the shower, I thought she'd have at least had something a bit more fleshed out than just 'this is my sister'. She'd known I was supposed to be sick so maybe she hacked the school transfer records or something? That would probably fit with how little she had to go on, but this was just… There were no words to describe how badly she was fumbling.

It was like… it was like seeing a cat with a mouse. No matter how hard the mouse struggles, you knew that the mouse was screwed no matter what. Really, the only humane thing to do then was to end its suffering… Laying my head on my arm I sighed. "You're not very good at lying, are you?"

"Huh?" Two heads turned to me in unison, but I my attention was concentrated on Mikoto's roommate. "I'm afraid the pretense of me being her sister is a misguided fabrication meant to protect you, Miss," distantly, I heard an exclamation: a warning to stop and a question, but I continued on regardless. "I'm actually a clone."

I watched as, between one moment and the next, Kuroko's face gained a hard edge and Mikoto froze when she a glance at her. "Serial number 19831 out of 20001 to be precise." And with that addition, her focus was back on me, breathing in and eyes widening a fraction at the number. "Although, I'll confess I'm rather different than the rest of the Sisters— that's what the other clones call themselves by the way, Sisters. Just a heads up incase you ever run into one with a pair of goggles."

Kuroko just stared, her eyes slowly narrowing as her lips began to move soundlessly.

Mikoto on the other hand… well, if she could give herself laser eyes, she would've been using them right then, but her reaction was predictable: She'd get upset, pissed even, but ultimately move on as she was already in the know. But Kuroko… Kuroko just kept staring, her eyes slowly narrowing as she kept talking to herself.

Mikoto suddenly laughed, halting and forced. "You can't just go saying things like that, Aka. People might think you're being serious!" Another laugh, "She's just joking Kuroko."

Kuroko and I ignored her, the girl likely considering what I'd revealed as I gave her my full attention. She was part of Judgement, the Junior law enforcement arm of the city's police forces. She had a duty to the laws and rules that she'd no doubt swore to uphold, but then there was her attachment and loyalty to Mikoto.

I watched her, watched the mental gears turn over and watched as she put things together. I almost pitied her, for having her illusion of reality be ripped away so harshly.

Her eyes scoured over my form for a second. "Clones... Twenty thousand?" Lips pursing, she seemed to get caught up trying to comprehend the scale of that which, yeah, understandable. It's one thing to hear it as a number, but to visualize it, _to think about it,_ the kind of resources that involved in such an undertaking would be astronomical. "But—" Jaw working, her nostrils flared as her breathing picked up and her chest started heaving. "There's no way something like that could happen! Cloning breaks so many laws, and with Academy City's security— there's no way a project like that would go unnoticed!"

"That just means it wasn't overlooked."

The girl turned to her roommate, love interest, and best friend, and asked without asking if it was true. Mikoto turned away though, and wouldn't— _couldn_ ' _t_ —look at her. "It's true Kuroko, they— I'm the reason for them existing and I had to—" Choking, her voice broke and she shrank into herself.

"But… but… I told you, Sissy; no matter what— I told you…" Swallowing, her eyes opened wide and wetness welled up. "You! Why would—! GHHHHHHHHAAAA!" Jumping at the savage war cry made by the tiny girl, I almost fell out of my seat as Kuroko teleported beside Mikoto and began shaking her back and forth. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid. Stubborn. Sissy!"

"W- wuh!?" Being whipped back and forth, Mikoto couldn't respond and I watched this turn of events from the sidelines in bemusement.

"Is this what had you so upset!" She asked, but didn't stop her shaking, "Was this what had you coming home so exhausted— And you didn't _think_ to ask _me_ for help!"

As if I was a fly on the wall, I could do little but sit and watch Mikoto be manhandled by the irate, melodramatic girl. Protests and excuses were made, but lost in the shouting that soon devolved into incoherent noises of aggravated frustration and, eventually, Kuroko ceased shaking her in favor of what could only be described as gently beating Mikoto to death.

Shielding herself as best she could, the Level 5 covered her head as the other girl reigned down weak blow after weak blow on her until her hand shot out lightning quick. Catching her left hand by the wrist before a blow could land, Mikoto uncovered herself to get a word in— to respond or try and explain herself in some way. But from my position, I could see that all she'd done was open herself up and watched as the uncaptured hand swung back.

"I'm sorry Kuroko, I know you're upset, but it was my faul—" Like the open hand of God, Kuroko's palm came down on Mikoto's face— not even on the cheek, just the side of her face —with a harsh slap and the stunned girl was thrown to the floor, knocking over the center nightstand between the beds.

"Stupid Sissy!" Teleporting to the floor, her arms wrapped around the insensate girl before she'd even started to rise, pulling her close and holding her. "I told you that I'd be there for you, no matter what. Even if you were worried, you didn't need to bear something like this alone. Me, Uiharu, Saten; we're all there for you, you just needed to ask."

Face pressed against her chest, I saw the corner of Mikoto's lips turn up as her arms came up and she returned the hug. "I know, Kuroko. I'm sorry."

I blinked at the scene, trying to figure out how I was supposed to react but drawing a blank. I knew one thing though, my eighth-grade self was right: Girls, are weird.

—

A/N: I'll admit, getting the feel of this right was a bit of a pain, and Im still not sure how well I did considering the snip is split off the _other_ part of the reveal. Also, tone. Getting the tone to fit what felt right was a bit of a pain and in part what led to Kuro's freakout and mauling of Misaka (seemed to fit her character). Things just kept getting a bit too... grim. Too serious.


	7. Chapter 7

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #02.2

—

I'd been wrong, there had been another thing I knew: I was hungry.

How, so soon after throwing up and dealing with the stress of dealing with Mikoto's stupidity, I don't know. Probably best to just chalk it up to being a teenager again or issues with the clone bodies, either or worked. But at any rate, I was hungry, and with tempers needing to cool it was decided that a change of scenery to keep things pleasant. And what do you know, the dorm dining hall was open even at the early hours of the morning with everything on the breakfast menu available. And oh, oh the menu… I'd have to watch myself here.

So, there we were, sitting in a far corner table at the back of the hall with large windows looking out on the school to my right; far enough out of the way that no one should bother us. Although at the same time, there were enough people scattered that it should dissuade the other two from bringing up things better left unsaid in a public setting. I still put myself against the back wall to keep an eye on the room.

"Please enjoy." Bowing slightly, the waitress-maid-girl turned away and went off to help another table. I briefly stared after the black dressed girl and shook my head in bewilderment. Why is that an actual thing?

However, the no matter how ridiculous, the girl and getup couldn't distract me from the scents of loamy peanut butter, sweet maple syrup and dough wafting up on the steam coming off my freshly made waffles. And no out of the box junk either; good, hand made, fluffy and fresh from the waffle iron waffles. Grabbing the fork and knife from my place setting I quickly set to work cutting and mixing.

"So hey, what are you, really?"

Stabbing a fork into my stack of waffles, I looked up from checking the maple syrup and peanut butter saturation to see Mikoto glowering at me; arms crossed in front of her chest while her tea and toast went ignored. With her at least, beside her Kuroko was adding sugar cubes to her own cup of tea. "Hmm?"

"You said you were different from the rest of the Sisters," she elaborated, "The way you talked about the rest of them… it was like you held yourself apart. And you don't talk or act like the rest of them. So... what are you?"

Wut... Blinking, I peered through my bangs and glanced around the dining hall, my eyes briefly settling on the sparsely occupied tables while inputing variables into a formula to calculate the distances between—

"There's no need for that. I'm projecting an EM field around us that will filter out any sound waves passing in or out, so we won't need to worry about anyone overhearing us."

"Oh, neat." Damnit. Kuroko muttered something about using abilities in the dorm, but both of us ignored her.

"Yeah, neat," she deadpanned. "Now answer the question. In case you're too dense to tell, I'm still upset with you. So you better start talking."

Stuffing my mouth with a stack of heaven in response, I ignored her indignant glare and considered the question while savoring the gooey, artery clogging goodness. Or rather, how to best answer the question without making things more complicated for myself. I didn't want to lie, but explaining it without getting bogged down in the existential crap... "Well, I suppose you could say I'm like the fly that got caught in the teleporter. "

Looking down to my plate I speared another stack, "That's the best way I can describe what happened at least." Syrup and melted peanut butter dripped off the waffles and I leaned forward to keep from making a mess. "C'ose enough 'ough." Spearing a large piece of fluffy waffle I mopped up some syrup and peanut butter into a small pool.

"...Uh huh. That still doesn't explain how you're different, though. A teleporter? A fly? What the heck do those things have to do with… _wait._ " A hum at the edge of hearing and the sudden change in tone made me look up and see Mikoto staring at me —or through me might've been more appropriate— with eyes widened and dilated to show way to much white, while her arms shifted so that she was practically holding herself more than anything. Goddamnit. Mouth, open, insert foot.

"Are… are you telling me someone _made you this way_? But the experiments, they can't be still going on, can they? Accelerator was defeated, they can't still be—" She jumped as Kuroko grabbed her shoulder and turned to see her friend smiling at her. "Huh, Kuroko..."

"Calm down, Sissy. She was making a reference, but I can't..." Biting her thumb, she briefly looked away into nothing before perking up. "Oh! Now I remember, it's a reference to an old Sci-Fi Horror film. The premise is that a scientist manages to build a teleporter and tests it on himself. Unfortunately, a fly gets in and sent along with him and afterward his body starts mutating into a monster because the fly's DNA became mixed with his own."

Continuing on with a brief synopsis of the movie, my own memories of it came to the fore and when she got to his skin falling off I was starting to get the idea that it may not have been the best comparison. And then when Mikoto glanced at me and turned a little ill… yeah, that may not have been the best comparison, especially if it makes her think I might rip my face off and try to eat her. But I mean, technically, it _was_ a fairly accurate comparison of what happened. Albeit with me being the scientist and the clone and programming being the… actually no, this was just a shit comparison.

Kuroko sheepishly scratched that back of her neck and laughed. "Of course, nothing like that could _really_ happen. With what we know nowadays the whole premise is more than a little silly."

It took a bit for Mikoto to recover, but after taking a long drink from her tea she her focus was on me once more. "So… what, you're supposed to be the monster? Does that mean something was added to you when you were being grown that's what makes you different?"

I sighed and absently poked at my waffles for a moment, the syrup and peanut butter cooling, then dropping the fork with a clatter I slouched back and looked between the two girls. To hell with it, complicated it is. "I suppose that wasn't the best analogy to use…" Sighing again, I kneaded the back of my neck. "Well, I think it's best if I start off by saying I'm an actual person." I held up a hand palm out to pre-empt Mikoto. "Yes, the Sisters are people too. Just let me finish, ok?"

Getting nods from the girls, if a reluctant one from the original, I continued. "So, three things to get out of the way before I go into what I know. One: where I came from before I woke up, there was no such things as Esper powers, or at least ones that weren't fraud psychics or works of fiction; two: mentally speaking, I'm twenty-two years old; and third: I was..." Trailing off, I looked past Mikoto to a short, black haired waitress-maid-girl holding a small serving tray to her chest as she walked up to the table.

Her eyes widened a little as she briefly stared. "Well, the rumors were somewhat true then. With the two of you sitting together you really do look alike."

"Huh?" Rolling her head back, Mikoto looked up at the girl as she stepped up beside the table. "Oh, hey Maika. What's up?"

"Well…" She side glanced at me, "I thought I'd let you know the rumors about you and your look alike are already be getting a little ridiculous. Just a heads up, you know?"

Reaching out she hooked her teacup in a loose hold and sighed. "Already huh. Figures. Thanks for the warning. Maika, this is Aka, my estranged twin sister. She's just transferred in for next semester."

"Oh re...lly..." She blinked once, twice, then gasped. "Wait just a minute! Didn't I see you with helping Kamijou and all those stolen soda's the other day?" Well, that wouldn't have been _me_ , but explaining that it was actually someone that looked exactly like me… I just nodded and she her shoulders slumped. "Well, how rude of him, he didn't introduce us… and I could have gotten the inside scoop before anyone else too."

Mikoto doubled over as she gagged and snorted, her hand going to her nose and liquid dripped onto the table as she grabbed a towel.

 _"'This girls' assessment is indeed correct,' Misaka 10032 states in agreement, 'It was quite rude for the boy to not introduce us while we were aiding him in carrying the drinks that Big Sister helped him steal.'"_ Then through the network she sent me her memories of the encounter: Flashes of a tall apartment building at sunset, A tiled entry area, The weight of a dozen soda cans held in my arms, the glow of the setting sun illuminating a long row of doors leading into studio apartments that some of Academy city's students resided in, And the same maid-girl astride one of the city's automated cleaning robots.

Deciding to consciously ignore the last thing the waitress-maid-girl said, I smiled. "I remember. A pleasure to meet you and sorry about not introducing myself. I'm afraid I didn't want to but in and—!" Finally recovered, Misaka's fist abruptly slammed onto the table; rattling the dishes and cutlery and making me lunge to save my water.

"Now hold up! Maika, are you saying you know where that idiot lives?" Maika hesitantly nodded and Mikoto sank back, clearing her throat. "Excuse me. Do you, um, well…" A dusting of red rose on her her cheeks and she looked to the side. "I don't suppose you could give me his address? He helped me with something and I wanted to thank him."

Oh...Uh oh… but of course... Well, whatever, unless she starts going off the deep end it's not my problem. Just as soon as I thought that, though, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I noticed a difference in my connection to the ocean that was the Misaka network. It was almost as if there were a thousand sets of eyes suddenly looking at… oh. _Oh hell no_. 'Nope,' I sent over back to the observers, with only a smidgen of gleeful vindictiveness. Leave me hanging will you?

 _"'Please wait a moment,' Misaka 14—"_

'Not. My. Problem.' And with an ease nearly to the point of reflex, I closed myself off from the rest of the network and the silly competitiveness of a thousand teenage girls.

Although on a disconcerting note, the difference between being connected and being largely disconnected was almost jarring as I felt myself… slow down, for lack of a better term, as the influence of the network faded into the background and the pleasure I'd found in the waffles waned.

Maika squinted at Mikoto for a moment before the corners of her lips fractionally turned up into a mischievous smirk. "Of course, I could even take you over myself if you wanted. He and my brother are friends and live next to each other you see, so bringing you along wouldn't be a problem at all."

"Thanks. I might see him today, but I'll definitely get back to you."

"Anyway, I've got to get back to work but is there anything else I can help you with? More water? Or would you rather like some orange juice or something else?"

The three of us answered in negative and she nodded. "Ok then. And Aka? If you haven't read the rules yet, the dining hall is open from five to nine so come in whenever and I can help you out."

Following her as she departed, I noticed some of the other tables had filled up and that more than a few of the teenage girls were either discretely sneaking glimpses or just flat out rubbernecking and staring at us… although, some of them looked away when I looked in the direction and… dammit. Or, of course, it was me they were looking at; as if I was the new attraction at the zoo or something.

"I can't believe you're still associating with that Troglodyte. You are the Ace of Tokiwadai, a Level 5, associating with someone like him is beneath you. And I didn't get a chance to tell you, but believe it or not he _actually_ came to the dorm last night."

"It's nothing like that Kuroko. And thanks, but I already knew. I ran into him while I was out last night and he helped me with… with my Sisters."

Kuroko flinched and the hurt, no doubt still fresh from the earlier revelation and suddenly made raw again was clear enough to see and Mikoto looked away. "Bu- but Mikoto, why would you let someone like that help, but not—"

"Cavegirl says what?"

In that moment I was pretty sure I could've heard a pin drop inside our little bubble of quiet. Kuroko's head slowly swiveled to face me, a stiff smile plastered on her face. "Excuse me? I'm afraid I must have misheard you say something quite factually untrue."

"Oh, nothing," I mused nonchalantly, completely ignoring the metaphorical warning signs and Mikoto's eyes widening in horror. "Just thinking aloud is all… I just think it's rich that you of all people are calling someone else a troglodyte. With how you were acting this morning I'm surprised you haven't beaten Mikoto over the head and taken her back to your cave."

A vein in the girl's forehead pulsed as her smile faltered. "I so swear, I am only concerned for my Sissy's health and well being. And who are you to talk, hm?"

"Just someone with a perspective of the world beyond that of a middle schooler and the person you were dry humping." Another throb.

"She's not that bad."

I shot Mikoto an 'are you kidding me?' look.

However, my attention rubber banded back to Kuroko as her hand drifted toward the place setting she'd unrolled to use the spoon for her tea and set aside... Why did I start this again? Oh, right, to help Mikoto avoid the heavy stuff so I all but picked a fight with someone who can no sell me… why did I start this again?

The teleporter smiled at me and formula ran through my mind, the calculations from this morning coming easier than ever. But I didn't need something quite that intense, and a few tweaks resulted in a faint layer of electricity sparking over my hand and forearm like an ethereal gauntlet.

"Alright you two, that's enough!" I saw the smiling girl flinch at the same time an electric shock hit me in the thigh. It didn't do much, but I still _felt it…_ Ow.

"Agreed!" I exclaimed, latching onto the opening and smiling. "Can one of you remind me where I was?"

"Oh, you were just telling us how you're really an extra-dimensional alien that's twenty-two years old," Kuroko quipped, smile still plastered in place and fingers flexing around— I blinked at the fork in her clenched hand. Wait. How… When...

"Right, um, number three was..." I glanced a Kuroko and confirmed that the vein was still throbbing away and that the fork was still in hand... better hold off on that. "I forgot. But whatever. Basically what happened is that while this Misaka—" I gestured to myself "—was undergoing her Testament personality programming, something happened to the hardware at some point in the process. I presume it was far enough into things that it couldn't just be stopped or restarted or something, but I digress. For whatever the reason, when it was over _I_ was the one that woke up instead of a Sister while also having the Sisters programming and all that _that_ entails. So, a few seconds after waking up and wondering 'where the hell am I' and 'why can't I move' I hear one of the Sisters talking to me over the Misaka Network and after a brief back and forth, she brings me up to speed regarding the… circumstances, of my current situation."

Taking a breath I took a sip of water. "Fast forward a little bit and when I hear a door opening I'm able to listen in on a pair of scientists. Apparently, there was some kind of untraceable power surge that appeared from _within_ the system and overloaded a couple of components— and no," I quickly added, seeing Mikoto's eyes dilate, "this was during the day so it wasn't one of your attacks. Anyway, one of them said it had done a little damage, but nothing outside of the allowed parameters." I inclined my head, "Well, nothing as far as they knew. But then I doubt that something like what happened to me would be considered within acceptable parameters. From there, they let me out of the machine and I faked being Sister long enough to be sent on my way."

Finishing off my water I and nervously licked my lips. "And that's basically my story. After leaving I got a new kit, put myself up in a hotel and over the next few days I wandered around, saw the city, did some research, and experimented a bit with being an Esper... Any questions?"

Mikoto and Kuroko stared at each other and at Mikoto's shrug Kuroko took the lead. "How did you pay for the hotel you were staying at?"

"The Sisters have… _had_ an expense account, that's what I used. I'm still getting used to this whole Esper thing so I couldn't hack my way in." Picking up my fork and poking the waffled I noted twitches from the two girls. "I'm not sure what the state of it is right now, but it was part of the reasons I got signed up to go here according to a Sister I talked to while in the shower."

"And the hotel?"

"Gold Star, somewhere between the eighth and fifteenth districts."

"You said you want shopping? Where did you..."

It went along like that for a little longer. Questions about what I'd done since waking up, where I'd gone since waking up, a bit about my past and the differences about where I'd come from along with more than a couple that were asking the same thing but in a different wording and so on. Kuroko had been in charge for the majority of the questioning and kept things random, but it hadn't taken long to spot the two lines of questioning: Things about myself that were asked again after a few other questions to see if I got caught up in a lie, or things that were verifiable… or at least that were _maybe_ verifiable. People can be told to keep quiet, and video footage can be altered. I'd have to ask her what she uncovered— _if_ she uncovered anything, that is.

"You never did answer why we found you in my bed in the state you were in," Mikoto asked, folding her little white flip computer thing and setting it aside. "Well?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Like I said, they enrolled me here but you can blame the sisters for that. All I know is I passed out in the hotel room last night after misjudging my tolerance and woke up here."

"And then there's that," Kuroko interjected. "Where did you get alcohol and why in the world would you think drinking would be a good idea? You yourself said you had already misjudged your constitution multiple time before that."

I glanced at Mikoto and briefly caught her eye then looked back to Kuroko. "I'll parse that into two parts, the second part she will tell you about if she wants to. Ok?" At her nod, I sat back and folded my hands. "In terms of the booze... that's actually a non-issue if you think about it. I just found someone old enough with the right profile and convinced them to buy a bottle of sake for me in exchange for them getting something for themselves. As for the reason…" Staring down at my lap, I breathed out as I slowly ran my small thumbs over each other. For a moment specks of blood were splattered over my hands, when I blinked visions of mutilated corpses flashed behind my eyelids and the blood was gone.

Looking up, I glanced between the two girls before settling on Kuroko. "I was in a situation I had no way of influencing, nor was I being _allowed_ to influence it. And that night… the Sisters are all connected you see, they all share an identical AIM diffusion field that lets them share memories, senses, computational abilities and have conversations. It's called the Misaka Network and how I talked to one while I was in the shower. In the first few days I was largely keeping myself disconnected, or as much as I could, and last night… I saw something regarding the circumstances of the Sisters creation and I needed to make myself numb."

Breathing out again I nodded to Mikoto. "Sorry." I picked up the peanut butter and syrup coated fork and stuck it in my mouth. "Any'ing elshe?"

The two shared a look, Kuroko, in particular, staring hard at Mikoto but the other girl shook her head. "Not here. Not now."

A pregnant silence descended on the table, each girl looking but not looking at one thing or another, lost in thought. Couldn't blame them, I'd revealed enough about my circumstances alone to make someone consider their place in the universe, let alone what they were going to do with that information or—

"What was the third thing," Kuroko blurted.

I blinked and remembered what I'd been about to say. I smiled at the girl who hadn't done anything to me, but… it was too good an opportunity to pass up. "I was a guy."

Her face went ashen and I heard distinctly _squishy_ grumble. "A- a guy?! But I… I... "

"A guy," I repeated, "with muscles, and facial hair," she swallowed and her mouth twisted, as if she'd tasted something foul. I couldn't help it, my smile widened enough that teeth were exposed in my usually close lipped smile. "And I had meat, and _potatoes_ ," actually saying that… I was dying inside, and even if it made things more complicated seeing her go shriek, almost _literally_ go green and teleport away might just have made it worth it.

Sparks danced around Mikoto's hand as picked up her cup and it began steaming. She grimaced at me before taking a sip. "That was a mean trick. And you shouldn't goad Kuroko like you were, she isn't as bad as she seems. You two just... got off on the wrong foot."

Ignoring the bold faced lie but commending her for standing by her friend… nodded, then I sighed and shook my head. "Not a trick, unfortunately. Speaking plainly, I'd rather not have to deal with that kind of thing again since I have… _had_ ," I corrected, "a niece her age and continuing what she was doing when I woke up…" I shook my head as the faint scent of orange chicken resurfaced. "The booze wasn't the only thing that made me sick."

"... I'll talk to her."

"I'd appreciate it."

A long moment of silence passed between us before Mikoto broke it again. "So… as insane as it sounds, let's say everything you said is accurate. Who were you? Aka isn't your real name, is it?"

Somewhat numb at this point all I could do was shrug. "I am who I am now, everything before that is largely unimportant."

"How can you say it's unimportant. You said you were a guy, that you had a niece— a _family._ That means you exist doesn't it, you can't—"

"It's unimportant because I don't exist," I said, interjecting before she could get too excited. She just blinked and sat back.

I sighed and pulled, bent, and tugged at my fingers but they refused to crack. Absently, I twisted my busted right knee to the same result. "It's just one thing I'd found while familiarizing myself with the differences between this place and where I came from. I don't exist, my niece doesn't exist, my family going back two generations back doesn't exist, and neither do the house's that I, my parents, and my parent's parents grew up in." I stared Mikoto in the eyes, "For all intents and purposes, I am no one but who I am _now_. And if I look back…" Opening my connection the Misaka Network some of the numbness went away, and raising a hand I made a single spark jump between my index and middle fingers. "Nothing good would come of dwelling on the past, so I don't, I can't, and I won't until I'm ready to."

While Mikoto studied the table, a motion over her shoulder drew my attention to a tall, brown haired woman with glasses in a dark, navy blue skirt suit entering the hall. Her appearance was familiar, but where… I squinted, and when she turned in my direction I saw her face: The Dorm Mistress. She started toward us.

—

A/N: Bloody hell this ended up longer than intended. I swear, this keeps happening for some reason… also why it took so long. Again, needed to balance things right, and again, I don't think I got this quite as intended… But let us move past this doom and gloom! Onward to… the next part! With delivery girls! And cars and drivers! And Toads! And plans! And… and… and my own room! With… with Blackjack and Strippers!

Note: Getting there in terms of my personal character development?

Note: Also couldnt figure out a viable alternative to Sissy, but I tried to keep it at a minimum.


	8. Chapter 8

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #02.3

—

Walking through the dorm building and passing dorm room after dorm room with an increasing number of girls out and about that stopped to stare, I had to consciously ignore the looks we were getting while simultaneously refraining from pulling off the loafers Mikoto had loaned me in favor of going barefoot.

Earlier I'd thought they'd fit well enough— if being a little small with my big toe scrunched up a bit at the toe. But now it was starting to cramp… badly. I ignored the pain, though, once I was in the room that would be my home for the foreseeable future I could chuck them and dig my chucks out of the things the Sisters had sent over. Just a few minutes more.

Well, _that_ , and taking them off to walk barefoot through the halls would probably be a _bit_ much for the Dorm Mistress. Or Supervisor, rather than Mistress… probably bad connotations associated with Mistress as Tokiwadai was an all girls school. Or something like that… and there I go thinking too far into things again. Needed to keep the correct term in mind, though.

I winced as a fresh jolt of shooting pain shot through my big toe and promptly knocked my heel against the hardwood floor to try and make some wiggle room. No such luck and another pain shot through my toe a moment later.

Such is life.

"— and do keep in mind that all who attend this school represent it. As such, all students are expected to comport themselves accordingly and abide by the rules regarding dress standards," glancing back, the tall woman's gaze briefly narrowed at my lack of vest and untucked (and not fully buttoned) dress shirt. "That means you are required to be in a presentable state while in uniform both on and off the school grounds. I will overlook things for today as you have yet to be officially added to the student roster until tomorrow, but only today. There should have been a pamphlet detailing what would be required in the acceptance documentation sent to you last month—" of which I didn't receive since I was sweating my ass off in California a month ago"—but in any case, I will bring you another to review." I blinked at what had sounded an _awful lot_ like an order being issued.

To my right, through the tall windows lining the hall that looked out onto the courtyard beyond, I glimpsed a transit van parked just out front; black, with its side door open showing a number of cardboard boxes and a particular cello case. The super' pushed open a pair of green stone, glass, and brass handled doors and we transitioned from the green wallpaper and wood paneled hallway to an entry area with white and green tile in place of wood floors and light cream toned wallpaper instead of green.

Stopping at the double front doors, she stopped and turned on her heel to peer down on us with arms folded under her chest. "In the meantime, you would do well to emulate and look to her for guidance until you are settled in. While she has been... troublesome, at times, she is also an exemplary student. There are higher standards expected of you here, past illness or no, attending Tokiwadai is a privilege and you are expected to treat it as such."

I nodded. Be presentable? I could do that. This place was supposed to be a highly exclusive and only accepted what was _essentially_ the creme de'la creme of applicants. Frankly, being anything less than presentable would cause me to stick out like a sore thumb... well, stick out _more_. However, the skirt was definitely going to take some getting used to.

Emulate Mikoto though? I raised an eyebrow and glanced in her direction and she had the grace to look away. Right. "I'll make sure to do that, Ma'am."

"...Very well, and—" The front door opened and hot, humid air washed over us as a slight figure in a blue in and black polo with tan slacks, a hat, and wearing a surgical mask came inside. Stepping up to the super' and turning her back to us, I felt a faint buzz on my skin as the person, _the girl_ , unhooked a device from her hip and handed it to the woman. "Ah, and this is everything?"

"Yes," she said, her voice slightly muffled by the mask… apparently, it was enough.

The two talked a few moments more, the Head Supervisor asking various questions about delivery costs and such with the girl answering in monosyllabic or punctuated answers.

Throughout the conversation I stood there, staring _directly_ at the back of their head and the black hair done up in a short ponytail sticking out the back of the hat… exactly the same as when I'd gone out the other day and tied it up this morning. Accepting the device she turned and I caught a glimpse of grey-brown eyes as she left, though this time opening them all the way to lock the doors open.

I looked after her as she went to the van and noticed Mikoto doing the same from my periphery. On one hand, I shouldn't have been surprised, but on the other… really? _Really?_

"—Mikoto? Mikoto Misaka!"

I calmly looked back with all the skill of someone who coasted through high school, Mikoto however… I stifled a smile as she all but jumped and snapped to attention. "Y- Yes Ma'am?"

After a beat, the super' sighed and adjusted her glasses. "As I was saying, your sister will be boarding in room two-twelve but due to her early arrival, I will be going up to double check that your room is ready. Can I trust you'll help her with her things and getting settled in, Mikoto?"

"Of course Ma'am."

Sniffing, she turned away and I followed her path long enough to see the woman put input a code into a console set in a pedestal beside the doors —which presumably led upstairs— before looking back.

With her gone Mikoto and I shifted our full attention to the van and the 'delivery girl'.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

I could only grunt in agreement, and together we watched the black haired girl unload several boxes onto a red hand truck. She'd dyed her hair, put it up in a ponytail, used a hat and surgical mask to hide her face and voice, and no doubt used colored contacts to make her eyes a darker shade of brown, but…

Closing the side door with my cello case in hand, said delivery girl turned and saw us staring. "'Is something wrong,' Misaki asks, inquiring whether there is something the matter."

—


	9. Chapter 9

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #02.4

 **—**

"Misaki…"

Setting aside a textbook on molecular physics I looked over to Mikoto as she rolled about on the bare mattress opposite my chosen bed. Unowned, fortunately, although according to the dorm supervisor, I'd be getting a roommate sometime 'soon'. Joy.

"All you did was change _one syllable_ … And why did you have to use _that_ of all names," Mikoto moaned and rolled onto her front, her face pressed into the mattress quilting?

Snorting, I reached to the side and pulled a small, bottom heavy box out of the larger box the Sister-in-disguise had brought. Although, the small boxes were really more like a slightly thicker carton what with its tab locking lid, but still. With all of them fitting together perfectly, and with everything being divided into smaller boxes… it was a nice detail, one of those things that made me wonder why no one had never done it before.

"'I do apologize Big Sister, would it have been better to pick a name such as Mikasa or Misuzu,' Misaki inquires in earnest."

Mikoto _twitched_ and a low moan began emanating from the girl that I recognized after a moment was in actuality a long, drawn out _'_ _no'_. Girls, so melodramatic.

"What's the matter this time," I asked, and wedged my finger under the carton lid.

"...Misuzu Misaka is my mom."

My hands, largely moving on autopilot, froze as I processed that little tidbit. Both at the admittedly amusing reflexive visualization of Mikoto trying to explain the Sisters to her mother, who now had nigh ten thousand daughters, but also the rather less amusing reminder of what I remembered about the character named Misuzu Misaka. Namely, the fact that if there are a few incidents, she'll become concerned enough about her daughter's safety as to try and _pull her out of Academy City_ … her daughter, who is quite literally one of the city's nuclear deterrents against outside incursion.

The idea that they would just let Misuzu withdraw her daughter though, regardless of the less public deterrents the city had in its no doubt _expansive_ quiver… it was either the sign of someone completely naive of the political aspects surrounding the Level 5's, or someone willing to disregard the risks to protect someone they love...

Shaking myself and refocusing, I settled on the girl across from me; Nuclear deterrent and girl who theoretically rated a position on the Kardashev Scale… it was mind boggling that the people running the city would be so willing to completely and utterly _try_ to enrage. Although, thinking of it like that, it only stood to reason that they'd only do so if they could _afford to_. And wasn't that an unsettling train of thought.

Letting out a slow breath I glanced back to the Sister-in-disguise sitting at my desk, helping unpack a box of the things the Sisters had gotten me, and met her gaze. "' _We are aware,_ ' _Misaka 10039 says, reassuring Aka._ "

I nodded and returned to unpacking. Well, either way, it would be something to keep in mind when the time that she came to the City. It had been sometime during one of the upcoming festivals if I remembered cor— _Pain._

A sharp, stinging pain shot through my index finger and I jerked it out of the box; albeit with a bit of tugging resistance. Staring at the tip of my finger, I grimaced at the lingering stinging sensation that remained and when a red bead welled up I sucked on it. It _really_ didn't help though, and… Wait a minute. I concentrated on the increasingly _familiar_ stinging and squinted at the box.

They couldn't have… could they?

Carefully prying open the carton I blinked at the sight of the small, innocuous looking cactus bulb sitting in a clay pot. A cholla; the small, light green fleshed, fuzzy white needled cactus of death and eternal agony I'd loved and rightly feared as a child.

Huh. The, of course, being the idiot I am, I gently poked one of the pale needles with my middle finger to confirm and felt it pierce my skin like it was wet paper. Yup. It was a cholla… and now I had two stinging fingers.

"You know these things are endangered, right." I looked back to see the Sister-in-disguise putting a thick packet of lined paper in a plastic wrapping into a drawer. She cocked her head and I held up the box.

"Oh, I see. It is fortunate then I am able to inform you that you were misinformed; it is actually the Diamond Cholla which is considered an Endangered species,' Misaki corrects, informing Aka of her mistake. 'In addition, if that had indeed been the case, one could not have been ordered as that would not only have been highly irresponsible but also very illegal. Rather, what you owned and now hold, was and is a Silver Cholla; a much more common species,' reports Misaka, happily informing Aka of the information Misaka 12339 discovered while assisting in furnishing your residence."

Well… the more you know. Nice to know my anti-burglar bush hadn't been illegal, then... Good times. Smiling as I recalled my time camping in the high desert, I sent my thanks through the Network to the Misaka in question and received an impression of appreciative warmth in response.

Yes, fun times… I turned back to the other girl in the room. "Hey Mikoto, check this out." Holding the box out, the girl turned her head just enough to peer at me, then to the proffered box. "I want nothing to do with something illegal."

"It's not illegal, it's a cactus from the Western US." Angling the box she sat up a little to see the cactus inside. "See. Touch it, it'll surprise"

The eye narrowed and I had the distinct impression she didn't believe me. I pushed through it with my most earnest, most honest smile. "It's ok, it only looks dangerous. The funny thing about the cholla is that instead of developing defenses, it adapted to only _look_ scary. That way it could direct its energy and nutrient usage into further growth." Reaching out I carefully touched one of the lighter, newer growth needles at the top of the cactus and bent it back and forth. "See. The barbs are actually really soft and flexible, like stiff hair or whiskers."

Of course, that was complete bullshit. But it seemed to work, and proffering it again, she hesitantly reached out, stopping only to glance at me before her hand closed the distance and…She jerked her hand back, shaking it as the stinging set in before sticking it in her mouth and glaring through her bangs.

"'Big Sister is quite gullible it seems,' Misaka remarks to her great embarrassment and sighs, 'Sigh.'"

"And you're supposed to be on my side!" Mikoto snapped back, shooting a glare the Sister-in-disguise a looked back to me with a putout look and gently pinched the pad of her finger. "...That was mean."

"Sorry." Regardless of saying that though, my lips spread into a toothy grin as I shuffled off the bed and put the cactus high up on the wooden bookshelf beside my desk. "Couldn't help myself, though. Getting the gullible new guy to skewer themselves was an old prank my brother and a bunch of our friend used to play whenever we went out to the desert."

I turned back to see her massaging her finger tip. "And yeah, a little mean," I admitted, "but a good lesson about being careful where you walk since they were all over the place and could pierce through leather and shoes like nobody's business." My grin faded as turned back to her, "Lesson was that it's always a good idea to keep an eye on what's going on around you," I explained, "never know when something might be up. Anyway, just a prick is harmless and the stinging should fade in a minute or so."

Stepping back to the bed, I grabbed a few of the books I'd unpacked and put them up on the shelf, though the action was little more than busy work while things churned inside.

Why the hell did I do that to her?

Why the hell did I tell her about that?

Despite thinking over those questions while unpacking though, I couldn't come up with a substantive answer.

Stepping back from the shelf, I dropped the last carton in the moving box and stepped back to look over the now mostly filled shelves full of knickknacks, the Retina (which the Sister-in-disguise had produced after pulling my backpack out of her box) and books. A lot of books. A decent number were works of fiction that I'd liked and had also been written in this reality, however many— _many_ —more were advanced textbooks covering the gambit. Although, most were fields that had caught my eye over the years for one reason or another, but that I'd had never had the time nor ability to look further into.

As with the physics text, though, flipping through several of the books I'd been able to follow along just fine— for the most part at least. _Testament for the win!_

At some point, Mikoto had joined in to actually help with the unpacking, although with how she was going through the box it could better be described as snooping. And wasn't that a lesson in restraining a knee-jerk reaction. Normally I'd have gone off on someone doing that, but... eh, not as if I actually owned anything meaningful.

Turning around I saw she now had a number of black and gold camera lenses arrayed around her. She raised an eyebrow as I stepped over. "I suppose you like photography?"

She pulled a black DSLR camera body from a carton, briefly looked at it, then shifted her attention to me as I picked up one of the smaller lenses; a 35mm Prime; bit hefty for its size, but that's quality. My nail absently tapped against the metal casing.

"You could say that," I answered absently. "The portfolio I made for my class final actually ranked in the upper percentile for the national AP testing… was thinking I might pick it up again." Taking the body out of her hands, I deftly removed the caps and coupled the lens to feel the handling— the placement of controls and such. It was nice, _very nice_ , far and beyond what I could have afforded back home.

"By the way, do you know if I'm gonna need to join a club," I asked. "I know you play the violin, but is learning an instrument just something that's required, or—"

"And how do _you_ know I play the violin, huh?"

Blinking, I looked up from my inspection and saw Mikoto staring at me, and despite her lounging on the mattress, there was a quite tangible air of suspicion around her. Catching the faintest whiff of ozone helped with that.

I shrugged. "The 'network," I said, giving her my prepared response and turned to shelve the camera beside the Retina, though it also served to hide my grimace at the slip-up. "So suspicious," I chided, and turning back I smirked at her as I grabbed a pair of lenses to put them up.

Huffing, she leaned forward to grab her crossed ankles and slowly rocked back. "Can you blame me, though? You come out of nowhere and after saying all that stuff you say something like that, am I _not_ supposed to be suspicious?"

Grabbing a flash in one hand and glanced over a heavy wide angle... 70-120mm in the other. I shook my head as I turned away. "Not at all. I'd probably have started shooting already, were I in a similar situation as you." Reaching up, I set the lens and flash alongside the other two then pushed them aside to the lined up _just so._ But seriously, for as conspicuous as they are—" I nodded to 'Misaki' "—this one not withstanding, your Sisters are just a little frightening in how much info they can get their hands on. Besides," I grabbed my head board and leaned forward, "even with your rocky start, is it that much of a surprise that they'd be interested in learning as much as they can about their 'Big Sister'?"

Mikoto sighed and rocked back again. "No, I guess not. Although, with her in that outfit, I am a little worried that others will think they can blend in and they'll follow me around to something."

"Do not worry big sister, thanks to the programming we received from testament Sisters can be very discrete,' Misaki states with a high degree of certainty. 'In addition, the personality and personal interaction data Aka has contributed is already aiding a number of Sisters in interacting with people.'"

I looked over my shoulder and stared at the Sister-in-her-paper-thin-disguise for a long moment before turned back to Mikoto. "...They're your problem."

Her mouth opened and closed several times as she gaped at the Sister, then rounded me. "Don't just shun your responsibility, you heard her just say you played a part in this! You can't just let them go about as they please, that disguise is horrible and people are going to see it!"

"Well, they've actually done pretty well on their own thus far so… no?" And responsibility? Despite the Will mentioning it, the most I've seen is one of them being able to disguise themselves. From everything I'd seen, I've barely had _any_ influence on the Sisters.

"No, not 'no', _yes_ ," Mikoto shot back, her volume slowly rising and she jabbed a finger at the Sister-in-disguise. "You're connected with them, you can talk to all of them, tell th—"

" _Knock Knock"_

Someone at the door? "'Perhaps it is the Supervisor,' Misaki speculates aloud, wondering if Big Sister's shouting drew her attention." Whatever Mikoto was _going_ to say died as she choked and a red flush spread across her cheeks.

A grin spread across my lips. "Mayhaps, Miss Misaki, she _was_ being quite loud wasn't she."

"Hey now hold on—"

 _"_ _Knock Knock Knock."_

"Hello? Sissy?"

Oh, Kuroko then. Double checking that Misaki had her mask on I called out that she could come in.

The door cracked open and Kuroko stuck her head in. She glanced around, briefly looking to me and grimacing, but perking up on seeing Mikoto. "There you are, Sissy. I was just—" Mikoto twisted around and she paled. "Oh no, are you alright?" I blinked at the emotional heel turn and then Kuroko was in the room, kneeling over Mikoto with a hand pressed to her forehead as she all but pressed the other girl into the bed.

"Oh my, you're all flushed and red, maybe you caught something while you've been out?"

Unfortunately, Kuroko's concern didn't help Mikoto's coloration one bit and, if anything, the sudden close proximity and closeness of the other girl elevated her condition to tomato-status one. "G-get off me, Kuroko!" Hands pushed, feet kicked, and threw Kuroko off— then she was standing at the door; hands behind her back and smiling at her friend.

Mikoto swung her legs off the bed and combed back her tousled hair. "I swear… I'm fine. Besides, isn't it me who should be asking if you're alright?"

The smile faltered but didn't fall. "I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about, but it is good to hear you worried about my health."

"...Right. Anyway, were you looking for me?"

"Oh, yes. I just wanted to let you know I have to head out. Apparently, there was an incident at the rail yard last night and I'm being called in to represent Judgement as it's part of the 177th's jurisdiction."

Mikoto's right hand, hidden from her friend's sight, clenched at the edge of the mattress. "The rail yard, huh. Well… you take care of that and we can talk tonight, alright?"

Kuroko's eyes softened and she pulled the green and white arm band that marked her as a member of Jugement— of course, seeing it I had to bite my tongue to keep from thinking too hard about child soldiers and such. "Ok, I'll hold you to that and if you need anything though just call, ok? Anything at all."

"I will."

Nodding, Kuroko closed the door and teleported away.

I sighed. "Do you get it now? The kind of secret you were trying to keep… it wouldn't have worked."

Mikoto just looked down at the ground but didn't refute the statement.

I sighed again and scratched at the back of my neck. It was almost beating a dead horse, but… "Have you decided what you're going to tell her about the experiment yet? You'll need to—"

The door suddenly opened again and Kuroko stuck her head in, "Oh, and you might want to move your van soon or you'll be ticketed by parking enforcement, just a heads up." The door closed again and stayed shut.

Wut? Mikoto and I shared a look before we turned to the Sister who could have powered the city with the amount of smug she was radiating through the network.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

"See, they have it in hand just fine."

Perhaps hearing the mirth in my voice she turned and glowered at me. I just shrugged it off, though, and glanced back at the Sister before shaking my head. Fucking perception field nonsensium. While looking away, though, I got a look at the small digital alarm clock the Sister had set on the side cabinet next to my desk; **10:33 AM**. "Damn, it's already that late?"

 _'"_ _Yes, it is, would you please remind her to come back to the hospital,' Misaka 10032 asks, exasperated at the forgetfulness of her easily distracted Big Sister. 'I would very much like to speak with her.'"_ Oh, the hospital.

"Hey, isn't there somewhere you have to be?" I nodded to the clock and sitting up to see it she seemed to slow down, blink, then her eyes widened and she all but fell over herself as she raced for the door.

"'Would you like me to drop you off at the Hospital,' Misaka inquires, offering a helping hand to repay a small part of what Big Sister has done for her.'"

Mikoto hesitated at the door, slowing down and seemingly thinking it over but glanced back and shook her head. "I wouldn't want to be any trouble."

"'It would not be any trouble at all,' Misaki says, reassuring Big Sister. 'I will be traveling in that direction as I am taking Aka to practice her Esper powers.'"

"I'm going where to do what," I asked, shifting to stare at the Sister-in-disguise. As with Misaka's whining though—and no, there was no comparison—she ignored me.

Pursing my lips I snorted, though remained silent as Mikoto hesitated a few moments longer, nevertheless, she rejected the offer. "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks, I have to make a stop along the way and need some time to think.

The door clicked shut behind her and again I turned to stare at the Sister-in-disguise. "So... where exactly am I going and why should I go with you?"

"'You will need to come with me if you want your new charge card,' Misaki tells Aka, conferring the instructions she has been given to ensure Aka's cooperation."

"...And you couldn't just bring it… _because_?"

The Sister-in-disguise just stared at me as if I was an idiot, which… yeah, she hadn't brought it to coerce me into going with her. Or alternatively, she'd simply been told to. But either way... fuck.

Hanging my head in defeat, I spun, opened up the closet to grab my backpack and shoes from beside the cello case, and slung the lightened pack over my shoulder.

 **—**


	10. Chapter 10

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #02.5

—

It had been quite some time since I'd been anything _but_ the driver, it was… nice, and it felt good to just put the seat back and be a passenger as the Sister drove through the city. It was relaxing, and quiet, with none of the rage-inducing stupidity I'd experienced whenever commuting. Although, it might have been more enjoyable were the Sister not insistent on making conversation. Unfortunately for her, the topics were ones that I'd just rather not become involved with.

"'Additionally, Misaka 10091 has been most insistent as she has come to the deluded conclusion that by receiving a piece of jewelry from the Boy she would have the right to lay claim on him over other Sisters,' reports Misaka with no small amount of frustrated trepidation at her sister's… _presumptiveness_."

I tried to ignore her, but hearing a quiet creaking fill the cab I glanced over to see the Sisters hands tighten around the steering wheel; knuckles turning white from the force of her grip.

And unfortunately for me, being stuck in the car with her and all, I couldn't simply block her out by closing myself off from the network.

"'In response to this stance though, Misaka 10032 has taken begun taking action and is actively sabotaging Misaka 10091's efforts, even going so far as to discretely ruin her attempts at dieting as 10032 believes _she_ has the greatest claim. Misaka wonders, however, do you think her efforts would be better focused if she were to bypass her sisters by taking a more direct approach with the boy?"

I kept my eyes on the road and pretended I didn't hear her ask me anything. But the silence. _The silence._ For three blocks and two red-lights, there was nothing but silence as she waited, waiting for me to respond. Eventually, I caved and sighed. "To be honest, I couldn't give you an answer, and all this teenage romance is outside my comfort area." Lord knows I didn't exactly do the dating 'thing'. "So… yeah," I finished lamely and shifted in my seat. "Sorry. I'd help if I could, but I would rather avoid being drawn into this... _thing_ , you and the other Misaka's have going on with the boy."

Another pregnant silence descended on the van as the Sister came to a stop at a busy intersection.

"'I see and I apologize,'" she finally said, "Misaka simply assumed that because she and several others went through a great deal of effort to acquire objects for your dormitory that you would be more conducive to assisting her in this relatively minor matter. It seems she was mistaken."

Blinking, I playing her words back a kernel of guilt seeded itself in my guts. She was doing it on purpose. I knew she was doing it on purpose— _she'd said so herself —_ but… I sighed in resignation and sank back into the seat. Probably should have figured one of them would get to me, though, especially considering how often they guilted their 'Big Sister'. "Fine. I'll tell you what I was planning to tell Mikoto, is that acceptable?"

"Yes. However, Misaka does request Aka refrain from giving the same advice for as long as she can."

Not give the same advice? Oh. The competitiveness. I could just see it: _Pulling herself onto the plateau Misaka sees another Sister barely hanging onto the cliff edge and walks over. "'Long live the king,' Misaka intones ominously."_

I shook my head at the silly visual despite knowing it probably wasn't too far off the mark. "Sure. Well… Basically, the best thing you can do is to keep things simple. I'm not saying to be blatant or excessive in conveying your affection for him, but don't bother using subtlety. Teenage boys…" I bit back a cringe as I remembered my own obliviousness. "Let's just say that boys in general— unless they have prior experience —are about as dense as Nintendium so most forms of subtlety expressing interest will go right over their heads. Just be clear about how you feel and keep things simple."

"'Keep things simple…' Yes, Misaka understands, she will 'keep things simple'."

I opened my mouth to add to emphasize the part about not going overboard, the words were on the tip of my tongue and I turned in my seat to… to… I tried to recall what I was going to say but hit a blank. My lips pursed together and I turned back to the road.

It would _probably_ be a good idea to try and tell her to take it easy on him, but as I'd already all but thrown him under the bus— and a bus filled with Sisters and an angry Mikoto hot on their heels at that… Well, it was probably a _bit_ too late for that. My bad?

Eh, he'd be fine. He'd suffered worse and what was the attention of a bunch of girls after him… the kernel mutated in a different direction. But, just because I didn't think it was a problem mean it sat well. In fact, it didn't sit well at all and for a number of reasons.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as the kernel grew heavier and heavier.

I'd told the Sister to keep things simple. But them and simple… that didn't quite mesh. Moderation was a thing that, from what I knew of the Misaka Network, wasn't something they had the firmest grasp on. And I'd all but told a Sister to throw out what subtlety she _did_ know. And then there was the fact that there were who knew how many of the Sisters infatuated with the poor kid.

I grabbed onto that thread before it could fade. Why were the Sisters _really_ infatuated with him? If I remembered correctly, it boiled down to hero worship which was… not exactly the best foundation for a relationship. Any kind of relationship for that matter… fuck. But moving on, the relationship implications were one thing, then there was the fact that there were over nine _thousand_ of the Sisters, with however many of that number having some level of interest in him with a 'there can only be one' mentality. And if that wasn't enough, had any of them actually considered _why_ they were interested in him?

Sure, he'd stopped the experiment, defended them and defeated Accelerator, but the Will could probably have ended things before then if she'd been willing to deviate from the canonical termination method… then again, just the memory of the original scenario might have been enough to… I grimaced and shook my head to force myself back on track.

So ultimately, beyond hero worship… what was there? I must have spent several minutes after asking myself that question mulling over everything that I knew and... I honestly couldn't find a reason. There was of course the matter of a different perspective and not swinging that way, but still; _nothing_.

"Just make sure—" I bit my tongue to keep from mangling what I was trying to say and mentally sounded it out.

"Yes?"

I opened my mouth again but hesitated, about to dismiss what I was going to say when the words fell into place. "Just make sure you know what you want. Ask yourself why you're doing what you're doing every once in awhile. If you don't stop to think about things— and I mean really, _really_ , think about things… Eventually, you'll blink and realize you're somewhere you didn't want to be, doing something you never wanted to do with no way out…" I glanced over to the Sister. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

"'Yes... No,' Misaka confesses she is somewhat conflicted. She does understand what you are saying, however only to a certain extent— She only understands in a theoretical sense, you see. However, much like the feelings she and her Sisters feel in regards to Big Sister and the boy, at the present time she is lacking the experience necessary to provide sufficient context so that she may fully grasp the information Aka is trying to convey. She and her Sisters do understand some of what you are saying, though, and the effort is appreciated."

Silence descended on the cab once more, though of the thoughtful variety rather than the awkward silence of before until the Sister broke it once more. "Due to the context of the previous discussion, I presume that this is related to the boy?"

"Not exactly but…" Waffling I tried to come up with another reason before quickly drawing up blanks. "Pretty much, yeah. At least it's what made me think of it."

Dropping my elbow on the door's armrest I stared into the distance, imagined scenarios of conflict among the Sisters coming far too easily. "It's just… With how many of you there are and there being only one of him you need to ask yourself, why? You need to ask yourself if this attraction has any substance? You need to ask yourself: Is this is little more than hero worship, or is there something greater behind it?"

I grimaced as the subject matter made me remember some of my misadventures into the field. Infatuation, Attraction, Romance; all variations of the same transient thing in the end. "Of course, thinking about something like the reasoning behind a relationship… it may not be the easiest thing to quantify, but it's something that becomes necessary after a point. Not to say you need to be constantly considering and over analyzing every little thing, but—" I cut myself off, realizing I'd gone off the rails and lost the train of thought. I reached for it again and tried to think of the words, but the moment was gone.

I sighed. "Just stop occasionally. Slow down and think things over."

I'm not an orator. I'm not an inspirational speaker and I'm not someone that rouses people to action. But, I _am_ someone that has made more than a few mistakes and fucked up enough along the line that neglecting to make some small effort to keep others from making the same mistakes I did would be inexcusable.

But I'd said something now and realized only after the fact that I was breathing a little easier. Whether the Sisters actually took my words into consideration though, that was another matter entirely, but I'd said my piece. "Just take what I said into consideration, ok?"

"I will /return."

Eyes widening and looking to her I didn't see the Will, or Misaki, or whatever her number was; but simply a Misaka behind the wheel, her hands at ten and two with her eyes fixed on the road.

Experience. Context… That was right, wasn't it? This Sister had her disguise, but that was a superficial difference, take that away and she could have been any of the other Sisters.

But still, despite lacking the experience to put what I'd said into a context she could understand, it seemed to have reached her nonetheless, and where I could reach one… well, for now, all for one and one for all worked just fine.

Lips turning up, I sat back and closed my eyes to enjoy the rest of the drive.

—


	11. Chapter 11

Networked (A Certain Scientific Railgun SI) #02.6

—

Ten, twenty, thirty minutes… I don't know, I'd dozed off at some point and I couldn't say for certain. Not that it mattered, while I'd been out the landscape of the city had changed, and as I woke up we were at the end of a transition from tall, multi-level glass-faced office buildings, to lower and more squat buildings mostly made up of concrete and metal. The beauty of the city was still there, trees lined the and vibrant planters ran on either side of the road and we passed the occasional cleaning robot keeping the area litter free, but there were fewer pedestrians about and more trucks or cargo vehicles rather than passenger types.

As we drove along I caught the names of the buildings, most— if not all —having one descriptor or another on the signs atop their buildings or on the fences and walls around their properties; names like Yamaguchi Pharmaceuticals, Kongou Aeronautical Research, and Katsuchi Manufacturing.

An industrial area. Suppose it makes sense that the Sisters would set up shop in a place like this.

There were both ups and downs of course. It was away from the urban area proper, which meant they would have privacy, but conversely, if someone were to go after them there would be plenty of privacy for the attackers as well. Plenty of room to do what they want though, and with how many of them there were being out in the 'burbs was likely better than them clumping up in the city proper.

Soon enough, we were slowing and the steady _clack-clack-clack_ of the turn signal filled the cab as the Sister turned off the main thoroughfare and into a small parking lot previously hidden from view by a tall hedge wall. And ahead, at the end of the road cutting through the parking lot, loomed a series of tallish buildings reminiscent of warehouses with a strange logo of straight lines and curves emblazoned on the corner of one directly ahead. While still a fair ways away though, I could _almost_ make out lettering in it, however, motion at the end of the road drew my eye to a pair of green mechs positioned in front of a gate at the end of the road.

I blinked and one hand went to the seat elevation level as I leaned forward to get a better look at the ungainly things. I'd seen them while researching and in the show, but not yet in person despite them supposedly being heavily used in the ever ongoing construction going on in the city.

They were offensive in almost every sense of the word. Despite being mecha, or powered suits or whatever the proper term was, they were just… _ugly._ They were like _Gundam_. They were like someone had taken one of those abominations of engineering and stuck a black tube where the head was supposed to go.

Of course, terrible taste of aesthetics aside, that didn't mean they weren't effective in their intended purpose, whatever that may be at the time. And judging by the spiked club thing the two were wielding, while these weren't pulling construction duty they were no doubt plenty effective. The mech's weapons prickled at something familiar, though, I just couldn't quite grasp what it was.

"Um. Are you sure this is the right place?"

"'Yes,' Misaka answers succinctly." And she kept driving toward them without slowing or accelerating. Then when we getting close they parted and stepped away from the gate and I got a good look at a copy of the logo on the building before the gate rolled away, proudly— or perhaps arrogantly —proclaiming it as belonging to the STUDY Cooperation... This place belonged to _them_ and the suits were just letting us pass... I blinked. Oh. _Oooh._

Because of course, why _not_ go after the low-hanging fruit.

"You know, I know I shouldn't be surprised that you went after these chucklefucks, but I am." So _aside_ from a foundation what did this give them? What did they get access to? Although, maybe more than that, was _who_ they could get access to. So…" I rolled my head to the sister as she made slowed. "You were going after Nunotaba I take it?"

The Sister simply nodded while she pulled around to a multi-bay loading dock, drove up a ramp, and passed under a rolling security gate with what _had_ to be a hairs margin… and all without slowing down. Sister choreography op, plz nerf.

Then the van slowed to a stop and we were… somewhere. In the building, obviously, but a walled off portion of the building and looking through the front window I stared at a somewhat hodgepodge amalgamation of workshop and garage space with boiler-suited Sisters scattered about.

The Sister getting out spurred me on and, unbuckling the seatbelt and grabbed my backpack from the footwell, got out into the cool, climate controlled space of the building. I was immediately hit by the lingering stench of exhaust and ozone as I stepped around the van to get a better look at things.

Banks of toolboxes with computer workstations demarcated a rough square with several large humming and blinking machines interspaced among them, work tables littered with books or mechanical components with one taken up by an incomplete something made up of welded tube steel. And at the center of it all, suspended by a small gantry crane, what _looked_ like it might be the cockpit from a mech. Maybe. If I squinted. At any rate, it had a seat buried beneath a tangle of wiring and control boards.

They were working on something, but… I looked around again, identifying from among the machines what l was pretty sure was an auto lathe, laser cutter, and industrial scale 3-D printer. And that was just three of the things... what the hell were they doing here?

Well, whatever it was, asking one of them was right out as before I could even ask they flocked almost en-masse towards the van and I had to flee lest I be run over. The Sister, Misaka… although they were all Misaka's and... fuck it, _Misaki_ , was now at the opened side door, waving about a tire iron to keep back the tide and I realized there was a mass of paper and plastic bags in the back of the van. "'Please, everyone wait your turn,' Misaki calmly requests. 'There is enough for everyone.'"

Those… those hadn't been there when we left, had they? I didn't think they were, but could I really not have noticed them... How long had I been asleep?

One of the boiler-suited Sisters suddenly juked past Misaki to grab a bag, then spun to flee with her prize. She sped past with her hand digging into the plastic bag and I caught the scent of chinese takeout as she ran around the work area and through a pair of doors set into the wall; going deeper into the building presumably.

Lips turning up, I looked back to Misaki and watched her hold off the growing hoard for a few moments more before being overrun and brought down by the other Sisters. Bags were seized and the Sisters scattered, the tantalizing scent of various types of food lingering in the air.

But really? _Food_?

Shaking my head, I turned on my heel and made for the door the first sister had fled through. Rather than going the long way around though, I cut through the work area to get a look at whatever the— Pain and numbness shot down my right leg, practically radiating out from where I'd slammed my bare thigh into the corner of a tool cart.

I sucked air in through grit teeth and kneaded at the already bruising spot. But despite the pain, I hobbled toward the doors. Snooping could come later, first things first: Find somewhere to change out of this ridiculous skirt.

—

A/N: Decided to I need to start pushing myself a little in the update speed to get back on track, next portion _will_ be up tomorrow. Speculate away.


End file.
